Roma unlikely to sign winger in current window as focus shifts elsewhere

Alessio Cacciamani's name dominated Roma's transfer activity over the summer, but the Torino winger ultimately remained with the club and renewed his contract. Torino's sporting director addressed the matter before his side's match against Udinese, telling Sky Sport that Roma were not alone in their interest. He stated: "Cacciamani and Roma? The giallorossi were not the only ones interested in the player. The president had said he did not want to sell the player: only an important proposal would have prompted evaluation, but this did not arrive and so we will enjoy having him." The director's comments clarify that despite sustained speculation linking Cacciamani to Roma, no offer of sufficient scale materialised to shift Torino's stance on their player. With Cacciamani's contract now renewed, he will continue as part of the Granata's plans moving forward.

Torino sporting director Gianluca Petrachi confirmed that Roma made a genuine attempt to sign Alessio Cacciamani during the summer transfer window. Cacciamani, who started for Torino in their Serie A match against Udinese on 12 October, was among several clubs tracking the winger, but no deal materialised. Petrachi disclosed that Torino's president had stipulated the player would only leave for a sufficiently substantial proposal. Speaking before kick-off, he said: "There was not only Roma interested in Cacciamani. The president had said he didn't want to sell the player: only an important offer would have made us consider it. It didn't arrive, and we're enjoying him." The winger remains at the club as Torino continue their Serie A campaign.

Cicinho, who joined Roma from Real Madrid in August 2007 and won a Coppa Italia and Supercoppa during his time in giallorosso, has backed the club to challenge for honours and urged young Brazilian forward Endrick to make the switch from Madrid if the opportunity arises. Speaking exclusively to Forzaroma.info ahead of Wednesday's match at the Olimpico, the former right-back reflected on Endrick's situation and Roma's current trajectory under Gian Piero Gasperini. Asked whether he would advise Endrick to join Roma or remain at Real Madrid awaiting his chance, Cicinho said: "If I were Endrick, I would go to Roma without thinking twice. I think Real Madrid should also consider this possibility, because it would be very positive for him. A player with his talent needs to be on the pitch, not getting rusty on the bench. He still has a lot to learn and I think he would adapt very well to Gasperini's energetic style and the intensity of his game." Cicinho also addressed Paulo Dybala's worthiness of Roma's number 10 shirt, a subject on which Francesco Totti recently expressed reservations. "The Captain gave Roma's number 10 a meaning that goes well beyond football and borders on magic," Cicinho reflected. "Twenty-four years of devotion to the giallorosso shirt, during which he brought professionalism and dedication to the highest levels and, above all, reminded everyone in the dressing room that they had a duty to represent that fanbase. Dybala is also, as they say in Italy, a fantasist, a player capable of making fans dream, and has already shown great attachment to the club, even refusing economically more advantageous offers. I think the number 10 would be in good hands with Dybala, but we must make peace with the idea that we will never find another Totti." On Roma's title prospects, Cicinho expressed cautious optimism about Gasperini's project but suggested it remains in a growth phase. "Yes, I believe in it, but it seems to me that the Roma-Gasperini project is still in a phase of growth and could reach its peak perhaps in the next season, provided we manage to retain the most important players, like Manu Koné, and continue to strengthen well in the market," he said. "Roma's starting eleven is exceptional, but I believe it is necessary to increase the depth of the squad. The second half against Inter was an example. Matches like that decide the title, not only for the points in the table, but also for the message they send to opponents." Cicinho also spoke of finding contentment away from football, having previously described a period in which he "saw no joy in anything." He credited his family and simpler life with providing genuine happiness. "Being able to be with my wife and my children, seeing them grow. True happiness lies in simple things, in the possibility of enjoying them without rush and with a clear mind, to fully live these beautiful moments. That is the real luxury of life, not cars, parties or spotlights."

Roma's radio stations examined the club's upcoming Champions League tie against Real Madrid on Wednesday, with tactical debate and nostalgia dominating discussion among broadcasters ahead of José Mourinho's return to the Stadio Olimpico. Gianluca Piacentini of Rete Sport flagged Paulo Dybala's missed goal as serious, saying: "The thing that gave me relief is that in 11 against 10 Gollini didn't make a serious save despite missing three fundamental players. De Roon's performance gave me great encouragement—he proved you can play even without Cristante." David Rossi warned of the danger: "If you play soft against Real Madrid you risk waking up to find yourself losing, because they have too many strong players. If Real Madrid gave Roma even one of those champions, Roma would win the Serie A title." Francesca Ferrazza of Tele Radio Stereo placed the match in context: "The emotional meanings are greater than the sporting ones, emotional not only for Mourinho but also for the squad, to understand its consistency and make it grow by comparing itself with Europe's best. There are few sporting meanings, because Roma will play well but Real is much stronger and so I don't expect anything special." Daniele Lo Monaco of Radio Romanista offered tactical insight, saying: "Of the three matches—Inter, Como and Real—the one with Madrid would be tactically the easiest. Not in absolute values, because Real has stunning players who can win matches alone, but tactically. Real Madrid won't have tactical surprises like Como and Inter might have. Rome will go and press them, widening an attacker on one side and a full-back on the other. I expect Rensch with Wesley, or Molina because he knows the opponents." Lorenzo Pes believed the team carried momentum: "I perceive confidence, and knowing Gasp he'll play the match as usual. What happened at Como is a beautiful proof of knowing how to change skin." Alessio Nardo of Tele Radio Stereo offered perspective on Mourinho: "Real Madrid this year are struggling especially away from home. Mourinho? I've already said it, but in my opinion he's never been this emotional in 30 years of a career." Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio predicted a warm reception: "The stadium will welcome Mourinho very well; he represented a great deal to Roma's fans. He seems very grateful and remembers this experience with great affection, even more than Milan." Mario Corsi of Tele Radio Stereo cautioned: "Real Madrid is a team that doesn't like being attacked, though clearly you must be careful and 100 per cent concentrated because if they start moving, they have players who are the number ones in the world." Giulia Mizzoni of Rete Sport marked the moment's significance: "Roma-Real Madrid is the standout match of this Wednesday's Champions League. It's five years since I've waited to experience an evening like this at the Olimpico. It's a match with many stories inside it: Mou's return, Gasp's first at home." The match was set for Wednesday 13 October, with stadium officials preparing a reception for Mourinho, the manager who guided Roma to the 2022 UEFA Europa Conference League title.

Roma held firm at Como for 50 minutes with a display matching a top-six side, only to be undone by a controversial refereeing decision. Referee Fabbri of Ravenna allowed a clear foul on Malen to pass without sanction, then issued a red card to the winger moments later for a challenge of at least debatable intent. That dismissal handed Como territorial control and possession for the remaining 40 minutes of the second half, but Roma emerged unscathed and without defensive risk—a result that, judged against last season's standard, represents genuine progress. Gasperini's side carried home encouraging signs from a bruising 90-minute contest against Fàbregas's combative setup. Gasperini deployed the recently recovered Pellegrini in a hybrid trequartista role on the left, flanking Malen with Dybala operating wide on the opposite flank. Como set up to play through the centre, with both teams vacating midfield spaces before refilling them through timed runs with the ball exposed during build-up play from defence. Fàbregas arranged a three-man midfield behind striker Douvikas, with Nico Paz and Diao operating at his sides. Roma entered the final third through rotations along the wing corridors, with Mancini notably active; Como found their openings through vertical tracers in the central lanes, springing Diao and Nico Paz into space. Both sides suffered from ball quality early on, with Dybala missing a monumental chance inside five minutes and Nico Paz testing Gollini moments later. Koné flanked Perrone while De Roon stood alongside Caqueret; Roma's first defensive difficulty was reaching Da Cunha, who dropped deep then cut transversely into midfield through gaps opened by his teammates. Roma rotated marking between Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso against Como's three attacking players, while Wesley faced a precarious duel with Diao. De Roon gradually took Da Cunha's measure, leaving forward momentum to Koné, whose passes after regaining possession were frequently imprecise, wasting multiple transition opportunities—particularly when Pellegrini and the defensive line sat high, a pattern Roma's midfielders and wing-backs could have exploited both for ball-free runs and to spring Malen. Roma also failed to read Como's aggressive press on the ball-carrier from behind, the intensity Como brought to defensive possession, making a switch of play from flank to flank tactically sensible. At half-time Gasperini withdrew Pellegrini in favour of Soulé to mark Yan Couto, but after five minutes Roma's defensive exhibition began in earnest once Fabbri's red card left them outnumbered, regrouping into a 3-4-2 with Balerdi replacing Hermoso. Fàbregas sensed an opportunity to go for the win, removed Caqueret for Jesus Rodriguez and shifted to 4-2-4, raising his line and attacking with angled runs without needing to defend the depth that Dybala, lacking the required pace, could not threaten. Dybala finished too isolated, though he managed the ball well on several occasions before ceding his place alongside Koné to Lulli, deployed as left-sided midfielder, and Pisilli. Rensch came on for the exhausted Molina. Fàbregas played his final card with Addai, to intensify pressure in the 1v1 wide contests, and Kempf for aerial duels at corners and set plays. At the 90th minute, however, Como managed only tentative attempts, unable to give substance to their pressure—they remained most dangerous when finding open or disorganised opponents in central spaces, a consequence of their coaching and player quality.

Roma drew 1–1 at Como's Stadio Sinigaglia on 12 October, earning a point that pleased head coach Gian Piero Gasperini despite the team having to reorganise and defend in numerical disadvantage for over thirty minutes. The giallorossi showed tactical maturity and mental resilience, demonstrating the compactness and character expected of a top side in a match of considerable difficulty. Italian newspapers offered varied assessments of individual performances. Pierluigi Gollini received consistent praise from most outlets, earning ratings between 7 and 7.5 across the reviews. Evan N'Dicka also impressed, rated between 6.5 and 7.5 depending on the publication. Marten de Roon earned widespread recognition for his midfield work, with scores ranging from 6.5 to 7, underscoring his value as a stabilising presence in the centre. Gianluca Mancini and Mario Hermoso were graded 6 to 6.5, while Bryan Cristante, Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini each received middling marks between 6 and 6.5. Donyell Malen received the most critical assessment across the board, rated between 4.5 and 5, with several outlets using the notation "relativo" to suggest his red card was debatable. Gasperini himself was rated between 6.5 and 7 for his tactical management during the match. Substitutes who came on late—including Balerdi, Lulli, Pisilli, Rensch and Soulé—received sparse or non-numerical marks.

Como and Roma meet in a high-quality fixture on 11 October as both sides look to test their ambitions early in the season. Gasperini's Roma face significant absences: Bryan Cristante and Mile Svilar are unavailable, with Marten de Roon and Pierluigi Gollini stepping in. Como manager Cesc Fabregas is without Kean, his backup striker. Pellegrini returns to Roma's lineup after six months out, wearing the captain's armband on the trequarti alongside Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen. The fixture is early enough in the campaign to offer limited guidance on league position, but Gasperini will use it to gauge the squad's form and competitive level. Roma field a 3-4-2-1: Gollini; Mancini, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Molina, de Roon, Koné, Wesley; Dybala, Pellegrini; Malen. Substitutes: Vasquez, De Marzi, Balerdi, Ghilardi, Rensch, Lulli, Pisilli, Soulé, Castro, Mora. Como line up in 4-2-3-1: Butez; Couto, Ramon, Chalobah, Valle; Da Cunha, Perrone; Diao, Paz, Baturina; Douvikas.

Roma have released their squad list for Saturday's Serie A match against Como, kick-off 12:30, in the sixth round of fixtures. Mile Svilar and Bryan Cristante are both unavailable and will miss the trip. Wesley and Donyell Malen have been cleared to play after returning to fitness under Gian Piero Gasperini. Vasquez has been reintegrated into the squad after being left out until now, and will serve as deputy to Pierluigi Gollini during Svilar's absence. The full squad includes goalkeepers Vasquez, De Marzi and Gollini; defenders Rensch, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi; midfielders Pellegrini, De Roon, Koné, Pisilli and Mora; and forwards Castro, Malen, Soulé and Dybala.

Gian Piero Gasperini has ruled out Mile Svilar, Bryan Cristante and Konstantinos Koulierakis for Roma's Serie A visit to Como on 11 October, following the international break. Svilar will not return until after November's pause, while Cristante is targeting the Genoa match. Koulierakis, the centre-back, faces no serious injury and could be available for Wednesday's Champions League match against Real Madrid. Italian goalkeeper Vasquez returns to the squad. Roma's full 24-player selection for Como reads: Vasquez, Giorgio De Marzi and Pierluigi Gollini in goal; Devyne Rensch, Evan N'Dicka, Nahuel Molina, Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi, Wesley, Emanuele Lulli and Daniele Ghilardi in defence; Lorenzo Pellegrini, Marten de Roon, Manu Koné, Niccolò Pisilli and Rodrigo Mora in midfield; and Santiago Castro, Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala in attack.

Roma's radio stations examined the club's upcoming Champions League tie against Real Madrid on Wednesday, with tactical debate and nostalgia dominating discussion among broadcasters ahead of José Mourinho's return to the Stadio Olimpico. Gianluca Piacentini of Rete Sport flagged Paulo Dybala's missed goal as serious, saying: "The thing that gave me relief is that in 11 against 10 Gollini didn't make a serious save despite missing three fundamental players. De Roon's performance gave me great encouragement—he proved you can play even without Cristante." David Rossi warned of the danger: "If you play soft against Real Madrid you risk waking up to find yourself losing, because they have too many strong players. If Real Madrid gave Roma even one of those champions, Roma would win the Serie A title." Francesca Ferrazza of Tele Radio Stereo placed the match in context: "The emotional meanings are greater than the sporting ones, emotional not only for Mourinho but also for the squad, to understand its consistency and make it grow by comparing itself with Europe's best. There are few sporting meanings, because Roma will play well but Real is much stronger and so I don't expect anything special." Daniele Lo Monaco of Radio Romanista offered tactical insight, saying: "Of the three matches—Inter, Como and Real—the one with Madrid would be tactically the easiest. Not in absolute values, because Real has stunning players who can win matches alone, but tactically. Real Madrid won't have tactical surprises like Como and Inter might have. Rome will go and press them, widening an attacker on one side and a full-back on the other. I expect Rensch with Wesley, or Molina because he knows the opponents." Lorenzo Pes believed the team carried momentum: "I perceive confidence, and knowing Gasp he'll play the match as usual. What happened at Como is a beautiful proof of knowing how to change skin." Alessio Nardo of Tele Radio Stereo offered perspective on Mourinho: "Real Madrid this year are struggling especially away from home. Mourinho? I've already said it, but in my opinion he's never been this emotional in 30 years of a career." Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio predicted a warm reception: "The stadium will welcome Mourinho very well; he represented a great deal to Roma's fans. He seems very grateful and remembers this experience with great affection, even more than Milan." Mario Corsi of Tele Radio Stereo cautioned: "Real Madrid is a team that doesn't like being attacked, though clearly you must be careful and 100 per cent concentrated because if they start moving, they have players who are the number ones in the world." Giulia Mizzoni of Rete Sport marked the moment's significance: "Roma-Real Madrid is the standout match of this Wednesday's Champions League. It's five years since I've waited to experience an evening like this at the Olimpico. It's a match with many stories inside it: Mou's return, Gasp's first at home." The match was set for Wednesday 13 October, with stadium officials preparing a reception for Mourinho, the manager who guided Roma to the 2022 UEFA Europa Conference League title.

Nahuel Molina has established himself as Roma's undisputed right-back after an initial period on the bench, and faces a familiar foe in tomorrow's Champions League match against Real Madrid at the Stadio Olimpico. In four years at Atlético Madrid, Molina played thirteen times against the Blancos, recording three wins, four draws and six defeats. His most memorable moment came in their last defeat, when he scored a stunning goal from over 30 metres—a missile into the top corner that silenced the Bernabéu. The 60,000-plus crowd at the Olimpico will seek to provide the platform for a magical European night. Molina must contend with Real Madrid's attacking threats, likely facing Vinícius unless coach Gasperini repeats the tactical switch deployed against Inter, moving Wesley to the right flank and Molina to the left, which would pit him against Diomandé instead. On the trequarti, Jude Bellingham's presence carries extra tension: the Argentina-England World Cup semi-final remains fresh, a match where Bellingham drew particular ire from the South American players after mocking Messi at kick-off. Romero, Paredes and Martínez were among those who did not hold back, and the taunts continued after the final whistle. Now the two will face each other again in Rome. Emanuele Lulli, the young defender who has ceded the right-back role to Molina, will have opportunities elsewhere in the season. Gasperini's flexibility with Molina's positioning shows a tactical awareness that will be crucial against a Real Madrid side demanding every ounce of the Argentine's experience and composure.

Roma's 0-0 draw at Como revealed a significant shift in Gian Piero Gasperini's tactical identity, demonstrating both defensive resilience and a willingness to accept a hard-fought point when circumstances demand it. The result, secured while playing more than a third of the match with ten men, drew praise from the coach for his team's refusal to surrender. Gasperini said: "I celebrated for the spirit we showed on the pitch until the ninety-fourth minute. Playing more than a third of a match in numerical inferiority against this Como without ever stepping back is a big deal." The performance marked a departure from Gasperini's traditional approach, which has always prioritised sustained attacking, pursuing a second or third goal regardless of defensive risk. This season, Roma have absorbed the principle that if a match cannot be won, it must be prevented from being lost—a pragmatic shift essential to competing for the season's highest targets. The club's overall balance across all departments now reflects this maturity: Roma have conceded just three goals so far, sharing the league's best defensive record with Cagliari, while maintaining the second-most prolific attack with 14 goals, trailing only Inter. Como's dominance of possession in the final stages—reaching 83.8%—was neutralised by Roma's midfield and defensive foundation. Gianluca Mancini handled 51 passes, Marten de Roon 55, Wesley 65 and Nahuel Molina 63. The defensive line, led by Evan N'Dicka and rotating through Mario Hermoso, Leonardo Balerdi and Daniele Ghilardi, proved impenetrable. Paulo Dybala, despite minor errors born of fatigue, managed 47 passes away from Roma's box, functioning as a leader among opponents' attackers and maintaining continuity through all 90 minutes with ten men. This combination of technical quality and competitive intensity forms the foundation Roma will need for the season's major fixtures.