Rüdiger highlights his most important shirts, including one worn by Totti

Brighton will host Roma in the closing match of Gian Piero Gasperini's pre-season schedule on 8 August at 16:00 Italian time. The friendly concludes the club's week of preparation in England before the squad returns to Rome. After the Brighton fixture, Roma will fly back to Fiumicino airport, where players will reunite with their families and enjoy a short rest period. The trip marks the final stage of Gasperini's pre-season programme ahead of the 2026–27 season.

Angeliño is departing Roma, leaving behind a legacy shaped as much by personal adversity as by sporting contribution. The left-back, whose full name is José Ángel Esmorís Tasende, departs with profound gratitude despite the pain of an incomplete career arc at the club. A serious injury, described as both debilitating and uncertain in its recovery timeline, robbed him of the chance to continue offering the technical quality and competitive intensity that had made him a decisive presence on the pitch. The Italian capital's supporters and media extended him uncommon respect during his struggles—treating his situation as deeply human rather than merely professional. Angeliño embodied the kind of professional who commits himself fully, leaving part of his heart in Rome. His spell at the Giallorossi remained unfinished in purely sporting terms, yet was compensated by an atmosphere of dignity and understanding around his inability to return to the level fans had known and admired. The farewell carries a distinctive tone: recognition that had circumstances permitted, Angeliño would have given every drop of effort to Roma's cause until the final moment. From this point forward, he is not an opponent but a Romanista wearing different colours—a status earned not through trophies or statistics, but through the character he displayed when he could no longer contribute on the field.

Antonio Rudiger, who played for Roma between 2015 and 2017, has highlighted Francesco Totti as one of the three most important players he has shared a dressing room with during his career. The Real Madrid defender, now under José Mourinho, posted a video on TikTok featuring the shirts of three influential teammates, opening with Kai Havertz, his companion at both Chelsea and international level, and Mesut Özil, a fellow Germany squad member who supported him when he was young. Totti topped the list as the final and most significant figure. Rudiger said of the Roma legend: "The great Francesco Totti, he is an iconic person and footballer. I would never have thought I'd have the chance to play or share a dressing room with him. For that reason this shirt means so much to me." The video underscores the esteem in which the former Roma captain is held, even by defenders from different eras who briefly crossed paths with him during his 25-year career at the club.