Serie A 2026–27 season opens as Inter rout Monza, Roma face Fiorentina on Monday

Pietro Leonardi, the former Parma sporting director and close associate of Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, was among over 65,000 spectators at the Stadio Olimpico for Roma's opening Serie A fixture against Fiorentina on 24 August. Leonardi has long been regarded as Gasperini's principal advisor on transfer matters. According to reports, Leonardi's input influenced Roma's decision to pursue Donyell Malen in January.

Roma opened their 2026-27 season against Fiorentina at the Olimpico with Matteo Marcenaro of Genoa as referee, assisted by Lo Cicero and Rossi, fourth official Fabbri, VAR Abisso, and assistant VAR Giua. The match saw two cautions: Fagioli was booked in the 30th minute for a foul on Dybala, and Hermoso received a yellow card in the 39th for a challenge on Mastantuono ahead of the halfway line. Roma scored through Malen to lead 1–0, but the goal sparked protest from Fiorentina after what appeared to be a handball by Hermoso against Mastantuono in the build-up. The incident occurred at the start of the attacking possession phase that led to the goal. DAZN's match analyst Luca Marelli examined the moment and concluded: "You have to consider the APP, the attacking possession phase, which came from that clash between Hermoso and Mastantuono. There was an infringement by Hermoso, but they probably didn't intervene because the contact was evaluated by the referee and it was anyway very far from the other goal. It's not a straightforward situation, just as it's not straightforward to assess these circumstances. Roma already had possession, even though that counts quite little." Earlier, Roma appeared to take the lead through Hermoso from a corner in the 20th minute, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR check revealed that Evan N'Dicka had touched the ball with his head before Hermoso, placing his teammate in an offside position.

Roma's Stadio Olimpico was packed with yellow and red for the opening match of the 2026-27 season against Fiorentina, marking the club's return to the Champions League after seven years. The fixture carries added significance as it launches Roma towards the club's centenary. The Curva Sud ultras showed their backing for Gasperini's squad, displaying a banner that read: "The path is set, we start again from where we left off. The whole environment united towards the objective." Roma's return to Europe's elite club competition after a seven-year absence represents a major milestone. The season will culminate in the club's 100th anniversary celebrations, with the opening fixture against Fiorentina setting the tone for what the support group aims to be a unified campaign. The banner message emphasised continuity and collective purpose as the team prepares to chase their ambitions in both domestic and European competition.