Roma's appeal against away fan ban fails on technical grounds

Alberto De Rossi, who spent over 30 years in Roma's youth academy system, has revealed he declined an offer to become the club's head coach in February 2011 to avoid the conflict of managing his son Daniele as a professional. De Rossi stepped down from his role at Trigoria after more than three decades to take the presidency of Ostiamare, the Serie C club where both he and Daniele grew up. He told Corriere dello Sport: "After more than thirty years a human and professional journey has come to an end, one that gave me experiences, satisfaction and relationships I will always carry with me. But returning to one's roots represents something equally profound. I was and remain a fan." The principle of not coaching his son directly guided De Rossi's entire tenure overseeing Roma's youth groups, a safeguard of emotional and professional protection that reached its defining moment when Claudio Ranieri stepped down from the first-team bench. Roma's leadership approached De Rossi with the Serie A position, but he rejected it rather than face the prospect of managing his son among professionals, clearing the way for Vincenzo Montella's appointment. De Rossi's work at Trigoria began in 2005 with the class of 1984 led by Alberto Aquilani and produced dozens of professionals who advanced into the game, including recent prospect Riccardo Calafiori. At Ostiamare, De Rossi holds both presidential and coaching duties. "Alberto, but also mister. I am a man of the field," he said. The club secured its first Serie C victory at Pesaro and played its home opener at Stella Polare stadium with support from Roma Capitale and NEA Rugby, the facility's current concessionaire, who mobilised resources to complete the project in record time. De Rossi works alongside Roberto Menichelli on youth development and stresses the club's social function: "We want to form citizens, not just footballers. We have our social function clearly in mind." He has implemented strict boundaries on parental interference: "On this we are inflexible. Here everyone is equal." De Rossi also advocates for expanded pathways into Serie A coaching for those without elite playing careers and criticises the gap between coaches with high-level playing experience and those without. The Anco Marzio stadium project is progressing, with work expected to begin in early 2027. De Rossi intends to position Ostiamare as a natural continuation of youth development for local families.

Roma's return to Champions League football has energised the supporters, with approximately 2,300 travelling to Fenerbahçe's stadium for the club's European debut under Gian Piero Gasperini. The away section will be at full capacity, with hundreds of fans beginning to arrive in the Turkish city from yesterday onwards. Local authorities are maintaining heightened security to prevent clashes between rival supporters, and police have advised Italian fans to avoid displaying scarves, shirts or club symbols during their movements around the city. Roma supporters face disappointment regarding the next Serie A fixture. The club has been unable to lodge an appeal against the CASMS decision that has banned residents of Rome province from travelling to Turin for the match. The technical procedures required to mount a legal challenge cannot be completed in time. Juventus has already sold over 900 of the 1,000 tickets available for the away section—purchased freely by Roma fans living outside Rome province, who face no travel restrictions.

Roma have officially returned to the UEFA Champions League for the first time since March 2009, ending a 2,745-day absence from Europe's elite competition. The club qualified by finishing third in Serie A last season under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, securing a return to the continent's premier tournament and the commercial and prestige benefits that accompany it. During their absence from the Champions League, Roma maintained a significant presence in European football despite missing the top competition. The club won the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2022 against Feyenoord in Tirana and reached the Europa League final in 2023 against Sevilla in Budapest, while also recording two semi-finals and three last-16 exits in the same tournament. The years away from the Champions League coincided with major structural changes at the club, including the transfer of ownership from Jim Pallotta to the Friedkin family and the appointment of six different head coaches across multiple management changes. Gasperini's first season in charge saw him deliver the primary objective of qualifying for the Champions League on his first attempt, having taken over a squad navigating a complex domestic campaign. While maintaining Serie A as the season's priority, the Piedmont-born coach approaches his European debut with the ambition to compete at the highest level and establish his group's identity on the continent's biggest stage.