Roma to honour three founding clubs in 2027-28 centenary kit designs

Roma left-back Wesley held a live TikTok session from his hotel room in Manchester, appearing in his Giallorossi kit as he chatted with friends around 10pm Italian time. Among those who joined the stream was Luigi Mastroianni, DJ, artist and television personality known for taking part in Uomini e Donne. Mastroianni, astonished, recognised Wesley only a few minutes after he joined the call and exclaimed: "Ti ho preso al Fantacalcio! Ti ho pagato 90 crediti!" ("I picked you in Fantacalcio! I paid 90 credits for you!"). The two then spent several minutes playing on the platform together. Amid the many "Daje Wes" and "Forza Roma" messages, one of the most popular comments was the ironic "Vai a dormire!" ("Go to sleep!"). England is one hour behind Italy, but the time difference was enough to build further anticipation ahead of Roma's Champions League clash against Manchester United on Tuesday. The live session carried on for some time afterwards, with music, conversation and laughter.

Clément Grenier has revealed that Francesco Totti gave him one of his shirts from his final league match for Roma, as a keepsake from the club legend's farewell. The French midfielder, who was on loan at Roma from January to June 2017, recalled the moment in a video published by Dégaine (by So Foot), nearly ten years on. Grenier was at the club during the last season of Totti's career and the emotional farewell that closed it. His experience at Roma was not an unforgettable one for him personally, but he witnessed at close quarters a historic moment in the history of the giallorossi. "What I have, and will keep forever, is Francesco Totti's shirt, because it was his last shirt, from his last league match and his farewell. He gave me one because I had asked him; he must have kept some, because I think he had made several. But one of his shirts, which was in the dressing room, he had promised me, we had talked about it. And so he kept it, dedicated it to me and gave it to me." Grenier added: "Besides this, he had given all the players a gift with a shirt and a captain's armband that he had signed and dedicated. But this shirt here I think is the most significant and it is symbolic, because it was the last match of his career at Roma, where he is a god down there." Grenier concluded: "To have known him, discussed things with him and still have the chance to talk a little with him, is enormously gratifying. All the gifts he gave us in the last weeks of his career as a player were extraordinary. The moments we shared together are, in short, beautiful memories."

Roma defender Konstantinos Koulierakis has opened up about his early career in Greece in an interview with Greek public broadcaster ERT on the programme Kalimera ipame?, and he has left the door open to a return to PAOK one day. The Greek centre-back, who is gradually carving out a place in Gian Piero Gasperini's squad during a particularly demanding period for Roma, described how he joined the PAOK academy. Koulierakis recalled that his trip to Thessaloniki had been cancelled several times before he finally made it. Joining the PAOK academy had been a dream, and he said he was overjoyed on hearing the news, although naturally also nervous. He was kept on from the third day, without having to complete a full week of trials. "Maybe they wouldn't have kept me if I had arrived earlier," he said. He moved to Thessaloniki alone, living for three years in the PAOK accommodation. His parents had been offered the chance to follow him, but he never asked them to come. "I wanted to face this experience on my own. From the moment I entered the academy, my goal was to reach the first team, and to make it. That's why I never thought I missed my parents. I was very aware of what I wanted." He trained with the first team at first, then took part in the pre-season preparation, and from there he broke into the senior side, where he also played. He spent two years in the first team before Wolfsburg came in, and he is now at Roma. "I had completed two full seasons at PAOK, a big club where there is pressure. We won the league, lost finals, I felt fulfilled and ready for the next step." Asked whether he would ever return to play in Greece, Koulierakis was clear about his preference. "Obviously I would like to play for PAOK. As a player you never know what the future holds, but certainly at PAOK, because I lived very beautiful moments there and PAOK made me grow. It showed me the way to become a professional."