Roma Stadium Project Advances Toward 2027 Construction Start

Lorenzo Pellegrini and the Roma Autistic Football Club visited Rebibbia prison on 10 October to mark World Mental Health Day, playing a friendly match against a team representing the institution. The initiative brought together Roma's special-needs squad and the prison's inmates in an event centred on sport as a vehicle for inclusion and connection across barriers. Pellegrini, Roma's captain, reflected on the experience afterwards: "It was truly a very special day here for all of us today, both for the Roma Special boys and for the Rebibbia boys, and for me as well. It was a day full of sport, full of love linked certainly to Roma, which through these events always shows its attention and love for all the people who follow it." The visit formed part of Roma's broader social initiatives programme, which focuses on promoting inclusion and raising awareness of mental health and psychological wellbeing. Players involved in the friendly also shared their reflections on the day. One recalled: "After finding out that Pellegrini would be coming I didn't sleep for hours last night." The event concluded with remarks from Maria Donata Iannantuono, director of Rebibbia Prison, and Lucia Bernabè, Roma's head of institutional relations.

The renovated Roma Club Testaccio opened its doors on 9 October following an extensive refurbishment, drawing hundreds of supporters across generations to celebrate the reopening of one of the most historically significant gathering points in the Roma fan community. The event in the Testaccio district was enhanced by the presence of three major figures from the 1983 Scudetto-winning team: Sebino Nela, Ubaldo Righetti and Odoacre Chierico. Their attendance reconnected the club's history, allowing those present to share anecdotes and memories tied to past triumphs and the passion for the giallorossi colours. Founded fifty-seven years ago, the association serves as a fundamental repository for memorabilia, photographs and testimonies of Rome's sporting tradition. Local politicians, entertainment figures and broadcasters from TeleRadioStereo also attended the celebration. The refurbished premises will now enable members and families from the neighbourhood to gather in a suitable space to watch Roma matches and pass on the values of fandom to younger generations.

The Friedkin Group has opened the door to selling its controlling stake in Everton while reinforcing its long-term investment in AS Roma, marking a strategic shift that places the Italian club at the centre of the Texan ownership's football portfolio. The group stated: "The Friedkin Group is evaluating new investment options for Everton Football Club, including the potential sale of a controlling stake." The move reflects no immediate urgency to divest but signals a willingness to explore offers from buyers deemed capable of "taking the club forward and consolidating the momentum that has been created" while continuing to support it in the interim. The valuation of Everton, according to Il Messaggero, could reach approximately £800 million including debt. Estimates of the group's initial outlay differ: Il Messaggero indicates around £400 million for the acquisition of 94.1% of shares from Farhad Moshiri, while Il Tempo quantifies total investment at approximately £600 million. An exit at that valuation would represent a favourable outcome economically. Crucially, the article identifies UEFA multi-ownership rules governing simultaneous European participation as a factor in the group's thinking—having two clubs from the same ownership in UEFA competitions requires strict compliance with regulations on multiple club ownership, though this is not identified as the sole driver of a potential sale. Roma presents the inverse picture. Since arriving in the capital, the Friedkin Group has committed over €1 billion in investments and tied a central component of its project to building a new stadium at Pietralata, an undertaking estimated to cost around €1.3 billion overall. Everton's 2024-25 accounts showed revenues of £196.7 million and losses reduced to £8.6 million. The group is also reportedly working on establishing a new NHL franchise in Texas in the Houston-Austin area for approximately $3.5 billion, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, further demonstrating its appetite for major sports portfolio expansion. The article emphasizes that any Everton sale proceeds would not automatically flow to Roma, as these represent separate holding-level assets and investments. The strategic signal, however, is unambiguous: while the Friedkin Group evaluates an exit from Everton after stabilizing the club, Roma remains in an active growth and construction phase, with the Pietralata stadium project serving as the ultimate test of Roma's centrality to the ownership's vision.