Shomurodov's glaring miss goes viral as Uzbekistan prepare for World Cup

Kostas Koulierakis has arrived at Roma from Wolfsburg in a deal worth €16.5 million plus €1.5 million in add-ons. Wolfsburg will also retain a 20 per cent stake in any future sale. The centre-back landed at Ciampino airport on 1 August and is expected to bolster Gasperini's defence. The transfer completes Roma's summer recruitment drive under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who has made defensive stability a priority ahead of the 2026–27 season. Koulierakis's arrival follows a busy window for the Giallorossi, with the club continuing to reshape the squad to match Gasperini's tactical demands.

AS Roma completed the signing of defender Konstantinos Koulierakis on 1 August 2026, with the Greek international arriving at Ciampino airport to begin his medical and contract formalities. Koulierakis joins on a permanent deal from Wolfsburg for a fixed fee of €16.5 million, with €1.5 million in add-ons and a 20 per cent sell-on clause included in the agreement. He becomes Roma's second summer signing after Castro. The 23-year-old represents a significant defensive reinforcement for Gian Piero Gasperini's squad as the club prepares for the 2026–27 season. Koulierakis, who has featured regularly in the Bundesliga, brings experience at a high level and adds depth to Roma's backline alongside existing defenders including Mario Hermoso, Evan N'Dicka, and Gianluca Mancini. The transfer was confirmed across social media on 1 August, with images and video of Koulierakis and his agent Paschalis Tountouris captured during their journey to the Italian capital. The defender will now complete standard club procedures before being integrated into pre-season training.

Konstantinos Koulierakis has landed at Rome's Ciampino airport to complete his transfer to AS Roma, becoming the club's second summer signing after Castro. The Greek defender touched down at 13:10 local time, 40 minutes behind schedule, and was greeted by roughly 25 supporters who sang and applauded his arrival. Roma agreed the deal with Wolfsburg on 31 July, paying €16.5 million plus €1.5 million in add-ons, with the German club retaining 20 per cent of any future sale profit. Koulierakis has signed a contract until 2031 on wages of approximately €2 million per season. The 24-year-old will undergo his medical examinations in Rome before immediately departing for Wales, where head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and the rest of the squad are continuing their pre-season training camp. Koulierakis will join Roma's defensive line alongside Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, Mario Hermoso, Daniele Ghilardi and Jan Ziółkowski as Gasperini shapes his backline for the 2026–27 campaign. The arrival completes a key piece of the recruitment jigsaw for the Giallorossi.

Roma face Cardiff in a pre-season friendly on Saturday, 1 August at 16:00 — the Giallorossi's first examination of substance under Gasperini's direction this summer. The squad arrived in Wales on Friday and will field Paulo Dybala as the lead forward from the start, with Matías Soulé and Donyell Malen deployed in supporting attacking roles. Castro, described as Roma's new striker, will not start but is expected to feature as Gasperini assesses him on the pitch. Robinio Vaz returns to availability after an earlier absence, while Neil El Aynaoui has rejoined the group following time away and is ready to play. The match comes after Roma's initial pre-season friendlies against their Primavera side, Trastevere, and Cannes. It will be Roma's first match on Welsh soil under Gasperini, who took charge last year. The 3-4-2-1 formation sees Mile Svilar in goal, with Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso in defence; Devyne Rensch, Neil El Aynaoui, Bryan Cristante, and Wesley across the midfield; and Dybala and Soulé behind Malen in attack. The fixture will be broadcast live exclusively on DAZN with a 16:00 kickoff on Saturday, 1 August. A delayed terrestrial broadcast is scheduled for Canale Nove at 21:30.

Roma travel to Wales on Saturday 1 August for a pre-season friendly against Cardiff, kicking off at 16:00 local time (15:00 GMT). Donyell Malen starts in attack, with Castro on the bench in his first appearance of pre-season. Neil El Aynaoui returns to action after missing the opening weeks of summer training due to World Cup involvement. Robinio Vaz is available after recovering from a knee injury. Niccolò Pisilli remains unavailable and has not yet reached full fitness. The match will be broadcast live exclusively on DAZN, requiring a subscription to watch on smart TV, gaming consoles (Xbox or PlayStation), or streaming devices including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast, and TIM VISION Box. The fixture will also air on free-to-air channel Canale Nove, though only as a delayed broadcast at 21:30. Roma fans can follow live updates via Forzaroma.info's live blog and the club's social media accounts on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Roma faced Cardiff, the newly promoted Championship side, in a pre-season fixture at the Helton training centre on Friday, with kickoff at 15:00 local time (16:00 CET, live on DAZN). The match offered the first real glimpse of how head coach Gian Piero Gasperini intends to deploy Castro, the Colombian forward nicknamed 'Torito' who joins Roma after two seasons at Bologna. The key question surrounding Castro's Roma career centres on his role in Gasperini's system: whether he will operate as backup to Donyell Malen or feature alongside the Dutch winger in a two-striker formation. Early indications suggest both players may feature for one half each in Friday's outing. The prospect of Castro and Malen playing together, potentially with Paulo Dybala operating as a trequartista, carries significant tactical intrigue, particularly against defensive systems built around a back four. In Gasperini's previous spell at Roma, he favoured widening Malen when opting for alternatives, though his broader managerial history demonstrates tactical flexibility up front. At Atalanta, he deployed varied attacking combinations: Muriel and Zapata with Gomez as trequartista; Petagna and Gomez ahead of Kurtic; and later Koopmeiners operating behind Hojlund and Lookman—showing a manager unafraid to experiment with multiple forward configurations.