Roma to hold pre-season in Wales as Friedkin Group explores Giannini return

Former Roma sporting director Walter Sabatini has heaped praise on the club and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, highlighting the squad's collective spirit as the key to the team's current form. Speaking to Il Foglio, Sabatini focused on the group's cohesion and the influence of Gasperini, who he said has taught the side the orthodoxy of winning. Sabatini said: "Spiritual cohesion is a superior factor. Roma are going through this collective state of mind: Gasperini teaches the orthodoxy of winning, he is a coach who makes you take giant steps." For Sabatini, Roma's progress comes not only from results but also from the identity built within the squad and the coach's ability to drive the group forward. Sabatini also commented on the spectacular 3-3 draw with Napoli, a match he described as a positive sign for Italian football as a whole. He said: "The 3-3 with Napoli is a tonic for Italian football. Both teams played very well, producing a battle that honours the ball: when we are at this level, everyone must chase Serie A." Roma now turn their attention to an away trip to Udinese, a fixture that carries weight in the table. The same day also features Milan-Inter and Juventus-Napoli.

AS Roma have marked the 96th birthday of Giorgio Rossi, the club's long-serving physiotherapist, born on 31 October 1930. The club paid tribute on social media with a message praising him as a timeless example of loyalty and belonging to the club's colours. Rossi was a constant presence in giallorosso for 55 years, from 1957 to 2012, a whole life dedicated to Roma. He was part of the club's two Serie A title-winning sides, in 1983 and 2001. On his birthday, Roma wanted to honour him once again as a man who embodied loyalty, passion and belonging as few others in the club's history have. The club's post read: "Il 31 ottobre 1930 nasceva Giorgio Rossi, esempio senza tempo di lealtà e appartenenza ai nostri colori." In English: "On 31 October 1930, Giorgio Rossi was born, a timeless example of loyalty and belonging to our colours."

AS Roma have marked the birthday of Giorgio Rossi, the club's longtime masseur, with a special message on their social media channels. Today, 31 October, is the day of his birth, and the club wrote: "Timeless example of loyalty and belonging to our colours." Rossi spent 55 years at the club, from 1957 to 2012, and was a constant presence in the giallorosso set-up throughout that time. He also played a part in the club's two Scudetti, in 1983 and 2001. Known to Luciano Spalletti as "the president of the dressing room", he was remembered by the coach as a figure of huge importance to the club's history. Rossi died on 23 September 2018, and his death left a deep void, though his memory remains intact among Roma supporters. The article describes Rossi as an institution whose influence on the club is difficult to capture fully, a life lived entirely in the yellow and red of Roma and felt as a protagonist in two title-winning seasons. His legacy continues to be honoured by the club and its fans on the anniversary of his birth.

Roma have scored 28 goals in their first ten matches of the 2026-27 season, a club record, after a 5-3 win at Udinese. The tally surpasses the previous record of 26 goals, set in 1960/61 and 2016/17, and the goals have come from a wide spread of players rather than relying on Donyell Malen, although he is leading the side. Under Gian Piero Gasperini, Roma have become a side that is always dangerous and always able to finish, with many matches won by at least four goals across Serie A and the Champions League. Roma have scored with 14 different players so far: Malen, Niccolò Pisilli, Manu Koné, Matías Soulé, Mario Hermoso, Emanuele Lulli, Rodrigo Mora, Bryan Cristante, Marten de Roon, Santiago Castro, Nahuel Molina and Leonardo Balerdi. Evan N'Dicka and Daniele Ghilardi also scored against Udinese and join that list. The results are reflected in the table: 24 points from ten matches, the club's best start since 2013. Last season Roma had 21 points at this stage, and two seasons ago they had just 13. To find similar numbers, you have to go back to 2022, when Mourinho reached 22 points. The Udinese victory was not simply a big win but proof of a team that scores with a consistency never seen before at the club. The 28 goals in the opening ten rounds represent a milestone the club had never reached, and the tally was built across Serie A and the Champions League alike.

Roma eased to a 5-2 win over Udinese, moving to within one point of Inter and Lazio in the table, pending those sides' matches. Five different players scored. Bryan Cristante opened the scoring with a header and then set up Rodrigo Mora's goal to make it 2-0. Donyell Malen completed the hat-trick for 3-0 before Evan N'Dicka made it 4-0 in the 37th minute. Udinese, coached by Runjaic, came back into the game after the break. Zaniolo, the former Roma player, pulled one back, and Palma added a second to make it 4-2. Ghilardi sealed the result late on with the fifth Roma goal. Roma's player ratings: Rodrigo Mora and Malen (7) scored again, Cristante (8) was on the scoresheet with a goal and an assist, and Okoye was given a 4.5.

Gian Piero Gasperini said Roma's goal tally from many different scorers is a "great signal" after his side beat Udinese 4-0 in the tenth round of Serie A at the Bluenergy Stadium. Roma have scored 28 goals in ten matches, a striking change from last season, and Malen is not the only source of their threat. "The numbers sometimes count and say something. Certainly, as well as scoring many goals, we are scoring them with many different players. This is also a sign of confidence, of many players who now believe they can be decisive, both in the assist, as in this case, and in the finish. So we are scoring more goals and with more players. This is a great signal." Roma led 4-0 at half-time, but the second half saw them ease off, particularly in offensive intensity. Gasperini said the drop was understandable: "I don't know, because even the teams fighting for the top positions have some small problems. I have to say it is quite normal. When you go 4-0 up, although at half-time we told each other to be very careful, keep defending well and not conceding, it is clear something can drop. We play in Manchester in three days, we are playing a lot. This was our eighth match in less than twenty days. So what is lacking is not so much physical strength as a little attention and concentration. Then we conceded a goal from distance that reopened the game a little. It was a bad goal, because we were set up and that is exactly the sign of having switched off mentally. We would never have conceded a goal like that. But it is also true that as soon as we had the chance to accelerate, we could still be dangerous." Asked about the impressive performances of Roma's young players, and Ghilardi's goal, Gasperini credited the group's attitude: "I have the good fortune of having all the players, even the less young ones, who give me great availability. With young players there is always this availability, because they want to emerge and improve. I am lucky to have a group with a fantastic mix. We may have other kinds of faults, but in terms of availability it is total." He added: "Ghilardi, moreover, was quite angry because recently a goal was disallowed for him in the Champions League against Slovan, a really beautiful goal. That desire to score stayed inside him and tonight he scored a beautiful goal." On the physical demands of the calendar, Gasperini said: "A period this long, with this continuity of matches three times a week, I struggle to remember. It has happened to me at other times, for example with Atalanta in the year we won the Europa League. We had reached the final of the Coppa Italia too and were fighting for the Champions League in the league. But that was March-April, a different period. A situation like this I do not remember. There is certainly a lot of fatigue, because the matches you go to play are all high-level and very difficult. I think after the next break, although the commitments will continue to be many, the situation will be a little less heavy. Especially for us, who for almost all of this period have had the absences of Svilar, Koné, Dybala and Pellegrini. Being able to rotate the squad, get everyone playing and distribute minutes is certainly helping us." Asked whether any of the injured players could return before the break, Gasperini said: "It is difficult, but I hope so. In theory all three could recover, but it could also be that none of them do. We will see, this will be a decisive week." On Cristante, who was outstanding, Gasperini said: "The pre-season preparation has stayed the same. What varies a little is the reading of individual players, we also work individually. It is difficult to train Mora the same as Mancini or N'Dicka, we have our own parameters and reads, and we work a lot on the players, that yes. There is a lot of individualised work. Honestly, I remember Cristante like this." He explained that Cristante had been out for a month with a knee injury that affected the collateral ligament, adding: "He has played three games in a row after a month out, a bit like De Roon, the more he plays the better he gets. He recovers quickly and that is a good sign." Gasperini also reflected on the season so far: "You can never know beforehand what will happen. I have a group that is hungry to improve and sets team goals to get better, we are not thinking about anything grand. Tactical work we do not have much time for, we learn during matches. By playing we have undoubtedly grown, and we have great confidence in the whole squad. Using everyone also helps, so everyone is ready." On the attacking play, he said: "I see myself in all the concepts of play. There were also goals of fine quality, N'Dicka scoring with a header from a corner, and all the others were fine assists with equally fine goals. Right now everyone is in confidence, when we get there there is aggression from everyone." Roma return to Manchester in three days' time, with Gasperini's side facing a demanding run of matches before the international break.

Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini spoke to DAZN after Udinese 2-5 Roma, admitting his side dropped their level in the second half after going 0-4 down. Gasperini said he did not know why even the teams fighting for the top positions have small problems, adding that the drop-off was normal after the 0-4 scoreline, although he had told his players at half-time not to concede. Roma face Manchester in three days, and Gasperini noted that this has been the 8th match in less than 20 days. He said a lack of concentration had crept in: "We conceded a goal from distance, then this ugly one we wouldn't have conceded otherwise, a sign that we had switched off a bit. As soon as we accelerated a little, we were dangerous." Gasperini also spoke about the fixture congestion, which has Roma playing three times a week. He said: "A period this long with matches three times a week, I struggle to remember it. Maybe it happened in February, when I won the Europa League with Atalanta, but that was a different period. This is a phase I don't remember like this. These are high-level matches and difficult ones, so there is fatigue. After the next break, however many commitments there are, they will be a little fewer." He pointed to the absences of Svilar, Koné, Dybala and Pellegrini, adding that rotating the squad and giving everyone game time has helped. On his squad, Gasperini said: "I'm fortunate to have all the players, young and less young, who give great availability. The young ones always give it because they want to emerge and improve. I have a fantastic mix, we may have other faults, but the availability is there." He also praised Ghilardi's goal, saying: "He was unlucky because against Slovan they disallowed a goal, but he still had the desire inside to score, and today he managed it." Gasperini concluded on the condition of Koné, Svilar and Dybala: "I hope they recover before the break. In theory all three could, like no one else: this week is decisive."

Gian Piero Gasperini said Roma's goal tally from many different scorers is a "great signal" after his side beat Udinese 4-0 in the tenth round of Serie A at the Bluenergy Stadium. Roma have scored 28 goals in ten matches, a striking change from last season, and Malen is not the only source of their threat. "The numbers sometimes count and say something. Certainly, as well as scoring many goals, we are scoring them with many different players. This is also a sign of confidence, of many players who now believe they can be decisive, both in the assist, as in this case, and in the finish. So we are scoring more goals and with more players. This is a great signal." Roma led 4-0 at half-time, but the second half saw them ease off, particularly in offensive intensity. Gasperini said the drop was understandable: "I don't know, because even the teams fighting for the top positions have some small problems. I have to say it is quite normal. When you go 4-0 up, although at half-time we told each other to be very careful, keep defending well and not conceding, it is clear something can drop. We play in Manchester in three days, we are playing a lot. This was our eighth match in less than twenty days. So what is lacking is not so much physical strength as a little attention and concentration. Then we conceded a goal from distance that reopened the game a little. It was a bad goal, because we were set up and that is exactly the sign of having switched off mentally. We would never have conceded a goal like that. But it is also true that as soon as we had the chance to accelerate, we could still be dangerous." Asked about the impressive performances of Roma's young players, and Ghilardi's goal, Gasperini credited the group's attitude: "I have the good fortune of having all the players, even the less young ones, who give me great availability. With young players there is always this availability, because they want to emerge and improve. I am lucky to have a group with a fantastic mix. We may have other kinds of faults, but in terms of availability it is total." He added: "Ghilardi, moreover, was quite angry because recently a goal was disallowed for him in the Champions League against Slovan, a really beautiful goal. That desire to score stayed inside him and tonight he scored a beautiful goal." On the physical demands of the calendar, Gasperini said: "A period this long, with this continuity of matches three times a week, I struggle to remember. It has happened to me at other times, for example with Atalanta in the year we won the Europa League. We had reached the final of the Coppa Italia too and were fighting for the Champions League in the league. But that was March-April, a different period. A situation like this I do not remember. There is certainly a lot of fatigue, because the matches you go to play are all high-level and very difficult. I think after the next break, although the commitments will continue to be many, the situation will be a little less heavy. Especially for us, who for almost all of this period have had the absences of Svilar, Koné, Dybala and Pellegrini. Being able to rotate the squad, get everyone playing and distribute minutes is certainly helping us." Asked whether any of the injured players could return before the break, Gasperini said: "It is difficult, but I hope so. In theory all three could recover, but it could also be that none of them do. We will see, this will be a decisive week." On Cristante, who was outstanding, Gasperini said: "The pre-season preparation has stayed the same. What varies a little is the reading of individual players, we also work individually. It is difficult to train Mora the same as Mancini or N'Dicka, we have our own parameters and reads, and we work a lot on the players, that yes. There is a lot of individualised work. Honestly, I remember Cristante like this." He explained that Cristante had been out for a month with a knee injury that affected the collateral ligament, adding: "He has played three games in a row after a month out, a bit like De Roon, the more he plays the better he gets. He recovers quickly and that is a good sign." Gasperini also reflected on the season so far: "You can never know beforehand what will happen. I have a group that is hungry to improve and sets team goals to get better, we are not thinking about anything grand. Tactical work we do not have much time for, we learn during matches. By playing we have undoubtedly grown, and we have great confidence in the whole squad. Using everyone also helps, so everyone is ready." On the attacking play, he said: "I see myself in all the concepts of play. There were also goals of fine quality, N'Dicka scoring with a header from a corner, and all the others were fine assists with equally fine goals. Right now everyone is in confidence, when we get there there is aggression from everyone." Roma return to Manchester in three days' time, with Gasperini's side facing a demanding run of matches before the international break.

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has credited his squad's availability and attitude for the team's improved attacking numbers, after a match against Udinese in Serie A's tenth round that ended with a 4-0 scoreline at some point in the game. Gasperini said the goals are coming from many different players, which he views as a sign of confidence: "Many players now believe they can be decisive in the assist or in the finish. This is a great signal." Asked whether Roma can make the step up to the top positions and the title race, Gasperini was cautious. "I don't know, even those who are fighting for the top positions have some small problems. It is also quite normal after the 4-0." He admitted that Roma had created many chances in the first half but eased off in the second. "At half-time we had told each other to be careful and not to concede a goal. In three days we play at Manchester. This was our eighth match in less than twenty days. A bit of attention and concentration goes missing. We conceded a goal from distance, a bad goal, a sign of carelessness. But as soon as we had the chance to accelerate, we could still be dangerous." Gasperini also praised the younger players, including Lulli and Ghilardi, who have impressed this season. "I am fortunate to have all the players, even the less young ones, who give huge availability. Young players usually always give it, they want to emerge and improve. I am lucky to have a group that is a fantastic mix. We may have other faults, but the availability is total." He added that Ghilardi was frustrated after a well-taken goal was disallowed in the Champions League against Slovan, and that he was eager to score again, which he did this evening. On whether this is the hardest period to be a coach in Italy, Gasperini said: "A period this long, with matches three times a week, I struggle to remember. It has happened to me in other periods, like with Atalanta when we won the Europa League and were still in the Coppa Italia. We went deep in all the competitions, but it was March-April. This is a period I do not remember like this. There is a lot of fatigue because you play matches always at a high level and with difficulty. After the next break, although the fixtures will continue to be many, it will be a little less. In this period there has been the absence of Svilar, Koné, Dybala, Pellegrini... rotating the squad is helping us in terms of minutes played." Asked whether any players could return before the international break, excluding Pellegrini, Gasperini said: "Difficult. I hope so. In theory all three, but it could also be no one. We will see this week, it will be decisive."