Roma training resumes at Trigoria after Dortmund draw

Italy bounced back from their defeat to Belgium with a 4-1 away victory over Turkey in the Nations League on 28 September, claiming their opening three points of the competition. Bastoni, Frattesi and Kayode scored three goals in the opening thirty minutes before Yilmaz halved the deficit early in the second half. Pio Esposito restored Italy's three-goal lead to seal the win. Daniele Ghilardi spent all 90 minutes on the bench, while Gianluca Mancini was not included in the squad at all. France beat Belgium 1-0 on the same day with Oliver Olise scoring in the 88th minute. Manu Koné came off the bench in the closing moments as a replacement for Da Cunha in that fixture. Italy's next Nations League fixture is scheduled for Friday against France.

Italy defeated Turkey 4–1 in a Nations League fixture at Belediye Stadyumu in Bursa on 28 September 2026, with goals from Bastoni, Frattesi, Kayode and Pio Esposito. The result came in the second matchday, with Italy seeking to recover after a home loss to Belgium. Kayode and Sebastiano Esposito made their debuts for the national team, while Ruggeri also earned a first cap. Roberto Mancini's side established control early: Bastoni opened the scoring from a corner in the ninth minute, Frattesi doubled the lead in the 22nd minute after Kayode's initial effort was parried, and Kayode himself added the third in the 27th. Turkey reduced the deficit through Yilmaz in the 47th minute before Pio Esposito headed in a fourth from Tonali's rebound in the 51st minute. From a Roma perspective, Gianluca Mancini was not included in the Italy squad, while Daniele Ghilardi was named on the bench. The match was significant for Italy's Nations League campaign, with a win essential to avoid relegation to League B. Turkey, managed by Vincenzo Montella, had lost their opening fixture to France. Italy's lineup featured Donnarumma in goal with Kayode at right-back, Scalvini and Bastoni as centre-backs, and Ruggeri at left-back. Frattesi, Tonali and Fagioli operated in midfield, with Raspadori, Pio Esposito and Sebastiano Esposito in attack. Italy's bench included Ghilardi, Calafiori, Di Lorenzo, Mandragora, Romano, Doumbia, Cambiaghi, Vergara, Kean and Scamacca.

Roma face back-to-back fixtures on their return from the international break that will reveal much about their credentials as a major club. The standout occasion is a Champions League home match against Real Madrid on 14 October — a reunion heavy with history. José Mourinho returns to the Olimpico, where he spent two and a half seasons and where Roma supporters are primed to salute him properly, though Gasperini's bench will hold no warm pleasantries. The fixture carries particular weight because Roma can approach it without fear: Real Madrid have struggled through the early campaign, including against Inter despite the Bernabéu result, and will arrive in Rome without key players including Konaté, Valverde, and possibly Mbappé, who is recovering from a tendon injury to his knee sustained with France. A dominant first-half display against Inter has delivered confidence and clarity to a squad that has identified gaps in their game — notably goals conceded early in the second half — but retains the hunger to return among Europe's elite. Gasperini has already shown in little more than a year that his football can carry a whole city, and Roma know these two matches will test their maturity against world-class opposition. The coach will not afford to slip. Gasperini's own words on Daniele De Rossi's arrival underscore the tension between different eras: "At Roma De Rossi put football first — before that people sought results through other things," he said, a pointed reference to Mourinho's tenure. Roma's ambition in the Champions League phase and their need to defend the first-half coherence they showed against Inter will define whether this squad belongs among the continent's best.

Roma's commanding position at the top of Serie A after five matches, with thirteen points earned, is no accident but the direct product of a ruthless pressing strategy orchestrated by Gian Piero Gasperini. The cornerstone of his tactical system is the speed of ball recovery: over 40% of Roma's regains occur within just six seconds of losing possession, directly in the opponent's half. This immediate re-aggression is underpinned by a compact defensive setup, where the gap between the three centre-backs and the two midfielders has been reduced to less than twelve metres, maintaining a high centre of gravity and choking off any play between the lines. Manu Koné, the French midfielder, embodies this aggressive philosophy perfectly. He has already made twenty-one ball recoveries and won 75% of his individual duels, functioning as a ball-breaking shield capable of snuffing out opposition build-up within the critical six-second window before instantly reversing play with the ball at his feet. This midfield aggression doubles as the first line of defence for Roma's rearguard, which has kept three clean sheets from five matches and conceded just three goals overall. Bryan Cristante provides a screen for aerial balls, while Niccolò Pisilli's dynamism in closing stages has reduced shots against the team to just 2.8 per match. Roma's ability to break the first press with dribbling is equally decisive. The team averages 10.4 successful dribbles per game, joint-top in Serie A, creating the platform for Paulo Dybala's creative output—four assists—and Donyell Malen's goal tally of six so far this season. The attacking width opened by Malen has allowed Roma to flood the penalty area with suffocating density, translating midfield dominance into attacking thrust. Gasperini's system, refined through meticulous attention to recovery times, pressing distances, and ball-carrying efficiency, has transformed Roma's midfield into the engine of their early-season success.

This week's ratings roundup celebrates the Roma fanbase's enduring bond with Francesco Totti as the club legend approaches his fiftieth birthday. Totti has not simply reached that milestone—his supporters have kept it in play through their unwavering affection, refusing to let the moment pass him by. The city's new stadium project earns the highest architectural praise, described as epochal rather than merely historic, with the piece invoking Dino Viola's pioneering vision as vindication of the long-held dream. Ángel Di María features prominently for his infinite quality and timeless left foot, embodying the passion of his Rosario Central roots. The Argentine's influence proved decisive in a tightly contested Argentina Supercoppa final against Estudiantes, where he took command when the match had turned adversarial. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini's management of squad movements—particularly the potential departures of Nahuel Molina and Paulo Dybala—draws recognition for his paternal firmness. Rather than imposing vetoes, Gasperini demanded maximum intensity in training sessions before players left and upon their return, a form of accountability the Roma players have earned through their pitch performances. The week's wider observations span Italian football's structural challenges. Gigi Cagni's commentary on Italian players and their attitudes, the absence of genuine phenomena alongside widespread affected arrogance, and the loss of academy talent such as Kayode receive critical attention. Germany's national team management under Klopp faces the paradox of overseeing one of the technically weakest squads since the postwar era, while incidents of booing national anthems—both Turkey's conduct towards Italy and Italy's towards Belgium—highlight how incivility transcends borders. A separate note addresses the defacement of Franco Baresi's image, an act of vandalism that damaged a legend's standing while tarnishing only the perpetrator's own reputation.

Radio commentators on Roman sports radio have hailed the approval of AS Roma's stadium project as a major turning point for the club. Carina told Radio Radio: "Yesterday was a watershed day. Now we will have to wait for the executive version of the project. After that the works will begin: and there is always a question mark there, because every time you dig you can find an artefact, a Roman villa, and so on. In any case it is a great victory for Roma. Now we wait and see how long it takes: the idea is to try to fit into the schedule of the Euros. Today Roma returns to training, there should also come a decision on Dybala and Molina. It seems strange to me that Messi is retiring: if the two wanted to leave, it does not seem to me that Gasperini would oppose it. Maybe they are not pushing that hard, but let's see what they decide." Pruzzo added: "We will be in line if we manage to be part of it. It seems to me that there are difficulties everywhere in Italy for stadiums. In any case it is a huge step forward: we will see how long it takes and whether the timescales become biblical or not." Orsi told Radio Radio: "Let's hope this city becomes a bit more European, instead of being strangled by bureaucracy. I hope the Roma stadium, with the green light, moves forward, and I hope the same for the Lazio stadium. With two stadiums of their own Rome would become better."

Roma returned to training on the afternoon of 29 September following four days of rest granted by head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The squad worked with the players available at Trigoria while awaiting the return of 12 squad members involved with their national teams during the international break. Wesley, Cristante and Malen undertook differentiated training after withdrawing from their respective national team commitments due to physical issues. The rest of the group completed a session split between tactical work and field drills. Roma are preparing for their return to action on 11 October, when they face Como at the Stadio Sinigaglia.

Roma's commanding position at the top of Serie A after five matches, with thirteen points earned, is no accident but the direct product of a ruthless pressing strategy orchestrated by Gian Piero Gasperini. The cornerstone of his tactical system is the speed of ball recovery: over 40% of Roma's regains occur within just six seconds of losing possession, directly in the opponent's half. This immediate re-aggression is underpinned by a compact defensive setup, where the gap between the three centre-backs and the two midfielders has been reduced to less than twelve metres, maintaining a high centre of gravity and choking off any play between the lines. Manu Koné, the French midfielder, embodies this aggressive philosophy perfectly. He has already made twenty-one ball recoveries and won 75% of his individual duels, functioning as a ball-breaking shield capable of snuffing out opposition build-up within the critical six-second window before instantly reversing play with the ball at his feet. This midfield aggression doubles as the first line of defence for Roma's rearguard, which has kept three clean sheets from five matches and conceded just three goals overall. Bryan Cristante provides a screen for aerial balls, while Niccolò Pisilli's dynamism in closing stages has reduced shots against the team to just 2.8 per match. Roma's ability to break the first press with dribbling is equally decisive. The team averages 10.4 successful dribbles per game, joint-top in Serie A, creating the platform for Paulo Dybala's creative output—four assists—and Donyell Malen's goal tally of six so far this season. The attacking width opened by Malen has allowed Roma to flood the penalty area with suffocating density, translating midfield dominance into attacking thrust. Gasperini's system, refined through meticulous attention to recovery times, pressing distances, and ball-carrying efficiency, has transformed Roma's midfield into the engine of their early-season success.

Roma resumed training at Trigoria on 29 September with three key players absent from the session: Donyell Malen, Wesley and Bryan Cristante, all nursing minor injuries from the previous week. Malen is sidelined with a knee problem, Cristante has lower back pain, and Wesley suffered a right thigh strain in the match against Inter. All three will be assessed and gradually reintegrated into group training, with Cristante expected to return by the end of the week. Wesley and Malen should follow shortly after. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is already looking ahead to the major fixture on 11 October despite the upcoming Como match still some distance away. All three injured players are expected to start when fit. The squad will feature a battle for the playmaker role between Rodrigo Mora and Matías Soulé, while a defensive duel looms between Evan N'Dicka and Leonardo Balerdi. Lorenzo Pellegrini is among those in contention but is unlikely to feature from the start.