Roma's Pietralata stadium project cannot be stopped, legal challenges now exhausted

Lawyer Fabio Federico, representing a resident caught in the expropriation process for Roma's new stadium, said on Radio Roma Sound that the construction project cannot be halted, though the timeline can be affected by how quickly disputes over compensation are resolved. Federico disclosed a calculation error in the municipality's initial valuation of the property being seized. The council failed to apply a 10 per cent uplift for voluntary surrender alongside the base price, resulting in an underpayment of approximately €32,660 in the resident's case. "There is a patent error in the municipality document that we have contested because the amounts that were identified do not actually correspond to what the calculation should have been," Federico said. "Essentially you had to apply the base price plus the 10 per cent uplift for voluntary surrender, instead they applied only the base price without indicating the 10 per cent that is even declared in the document, so it is purely a calculation error that nonetheless undermines the act itself." Federico explained that while the council can correct the error, doing so adds time because the expropriating party must then verify the new calculation is accurate, requiring another 30-day period for the property owner to respond. He signalled the residents will challenge the valuation again under Article 54 of Italian expropriation law, citing the particular value of the property—a two-family villa rather than an apartment—and arguing the parameters used by the council were too summary. The notification was served at the end of July, and the lawyer noted no contact has yet been made by Roma or the municipality. "A 20-day gap has passed and we have received no response," he said. On whether the stadium itself could still be blocked, Federico was direct: "Attempts to halt this project are now exhausted at the moment when both associations of residents and inhabitants appealed first to the administrative court and then to the Council of State. That phase has been surpassed; the expropriation will go ahead. It is a matter of timing." He called on Roma and the administration to reach swift agreement on compensation in the residents' favour, describing the outcome as dependent on "the offer and the willingness of the counterparty to satisfy a right that belongs to the expropriated parties" under expropriation law.

AS Roma have appointed Jacopo Gobbetti as the new head of scouting in a reorganisation of their youth academy structure. Gobbetti arrives from Hellas Verona, where he had worked with Massimo Margiotta. Margiotta, who is now part of Roma's sporting setup, championed Gobbetti's arrival and has integrated him into the club's new youth sector hierarchy. The appointment underscores Roma's commitment to strengthening not only the first team—where the transfer window remains open for new reinforcements to support head coach Gian Piero Gasperini—but also the academy and talent identification systems. Gobbetti's experience at Verona and direct collaboration with Margiotta position him to develop Roma's scouting operations across age groups.

AS Roma has appointed Jacopo Gobbetti as head of scouting for the youth academy. Gobbetti, formerly at Verona, is already at work at Trigoria and was a strong request from Margiotta, the youth academy director, with whom he worked together at Verona. Roma has also overhauled its coaching structure across the youth ranks. Scala, 32, has been promoted to lead the Primavera side, while Terlizzi takes charge of the Under 18s, Polverini the Under 17s, Trombetti the Under 16s, and Lorenzi the Under 15s. Lorenzi, 49, arrives from Atalanta. Further down the age groups, D'Andrea oversees the Under 14s, Cervelli the Under 13s, Darretta the Under 12s, Santucci the Under 11s, and Mattei the Under 10s.