Sozza to referee Verona–Roma as Gasperini's side chase Champions League spot

Gian Piero Gasperini expressed sharp disappointment with Roma's display in a friendly against Brighton on 8 August, conceding three goals and struggling to build momentum ahead of the new season. The defeat extended Roma's poor run to eleven goals conceded in their last four outings. Gasperini said: "It was a very bad match, without doubt. We put in a poor performance. The feeling I have is that we are struggling to switch on." The coach's frustration extended beyond the pitch to the club's transfer activity. With the squad lacking numerical depth, Gasperini acknowledged Roma are unable to accelerate their transfer business at the pace he had hoped. He stated: "I thought we would be further ahead. We cannot do the market because we have too few players... Numerically it seems to me there is still a need for something. On who to target and how to close we will see. Possible departures? Ask the CEO." Defensive vulnerabilities have become a recurring concern, with Svilar and the entire back line appearing exposed when pressed at speed. Forward Donyell Malen showed signs of being out of condition and overweight. Gasperini's comments underline the urgency Roma face in both the transfer market and regaining the collective shape and understanding that underpinned their previous campaigns.

Roma lost 3-0 to Brighton in a pre-season friendly, extending a run of poor defensive form that has left head coach Gian Piero Gasperini frustrated. The loss follows a similarly disappointing performance against Cardiff, with Gasperini describing yesterday's display as "pessima: una brutta prestazione" (dreadful: a poor performance). The team appeared slow, unmotivated, and lacked concentration throughout. Defence remains the immediate concern. Excluding three friendlies at Trigoria against the Primavera and Trastevere, Roma have conceded 11 goals across their last four outings—an average of 2.75 per match. Gasperini acknowledged the underlying issue, saying: "It's true, we struggle to switch the plug back on." The squad will return to Trigoria from Tuesday, when the coaching staff can begin integrating Molina and Pellegrini into training, though Gasperini warned that Pellegrini will require at least a month to reach full fitness. The manager also addressed transfer strategy in his post-match remarks. He stated that Roma need additional players numerically, noting that director D'Amico is negotiating for young but important prospects. On potential departures, Gasperini deferred to the club's chief executive, saying those questions should be addressed to him rather than the coaching staff.

Roma's pre-season tour of England closed with a 3–0 defeat to Brighton at the Amex Stadium on 8 August. Georginio Rutter opened the scoring in the 29th minute after Wesley squandered a one-on-one chance against Verbruggen in the 28th, with Yasin Ayari doubling the lead before half-time and completing his brace early in the second half at the 49th minute. The result capped a disappointing week for Gasperini's side, following a heavy loss to Cardiff City, with only an improved performance against Newport offering respite. Wesley's missed opportunity proved decisive; from the resulting counter-attack, Rutter fired past Svilar, and the concession of the opening goal triggered a psychological collapse that Brighton exploited ruthlessly through their pace and directness. Gasperini's Roma controlled stretches of the match and came closest to opening the scoring when Wesley was played through one-on-one in the 28th minute but shot over from a favourable position. The side's lack of clinical finishing and defensive frailty were stark: Brighton's attacks repeatedly found space, particularly down the flanks, and Roma's back line appeared disorganised and slow to react. Svilar made several key saves to prevent a larger scoreline. The heavy rotation Gasperini introduced in the second half, giving opportunities to younger squad members, failed to ignite a response from a team that appeared depleted and lacking intensity. Evan Ferguson, still recovering from injury, was present at the stadium to greet his former teammates before kick-off. Roma's next fixture is a friendly against Borussia Dortmund on 15 August, a match Gasperini will view as essential for rebuilding confidence and addressing the defensive and mental issues laid bare at the Amex.

Gian Piero Gasperini expressed sharp disappointment with Roma's display in a friendly against Brighton on 8 August, conceding three goals and struggling to build momentum ahead of the new season. The defeat extended Roma's poor run to eleven goals conceded in their last four outings. Gasperini said: "It was a very bad match, without doubt. We put in a poor performance. The feeling I have is that we are struggling to switch on." The coach's frustration extended beyond the pitch to the club's transfer activity. With the squad lacking numerical depth, Gasperini acknowledged Roma are unable to accelerate their transfer business at the pace he had hoped. He stated: "I thought we would be further ahead. We cannot do the market because we have too few players... Numerically it seems to me there is still a need for something. On who to target and how to close we will see. Possible departures? Ask the CEO." Defensive vulnerabilities have become a recurring concern, with Svilar and the entire back line appearing exposed when pressed at speed. Forward Donyell Malen showed signs of being out of condition and overweight. Gasperini's comments underline the urgency Roma face in both the transfer market and regaining the collective shape and understanding that underpinned their previous campaigns.

Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledged Roma's transfer shortfall after a poor showing in a friendly against Brighton, conceding that the club lacks adequate depth. The head coach said: "If we do the count, numerically there is still a need for something, but you know how it is. D'Amico is negotiating very young and very important players. That is the indication." Gasperini stressed that squad decisions rest with the club's chief executive, saying: "We have a chief executive, you will have to ask him these questions and he will say what Roma can and cannot do. On numbers and market possibilities the ball passes to him." Gasperini cited returnees from international duty—Evan N'Dicka, Neil El Aynaoui, and Donyell Malen—as still recovering their sharpness. He praised Paulo Dybala's fitness and noted that recent arrivals from the start of preseason had performed well. The manager confirmed that an injured player "will be out for at least a month," with discussion to resume from September onward. Gasperini also highlighted recent squad changes: "We replaced Çelik with Molina, whom we will see on Tuesday. We replaced Dovbyk with Castro, who I believe will give us great satisfaction. And then Koulierakis arrived, who seems interesting to complete the defence."

Roma suffered a 3–0 defeat at Brighton in a pre-season friendly at the American Express Stadium on 8 August, the final test of their training camp in England before returning to the Italian capital. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledged a disappointing performance but said the squad lacked concentration rather than fitness. He noted that players returning from the World Cup — Evan N'Dicka, Neil El Aynaoui, and Donyell Malen — needed extra time to recover. "It's not really a fitness issue, but more the fact that we played disconnected as a team, certainly not with the right concentration," Gasperini said. "We have some players coming back from World Cup competitions like Ndicka, El Aynaoui and Malen who are a bit depleted. We need to be patient because when you return from these tournaments it takes a little longer to recover." On the transfer front, Gasperini confirmed that midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini will miss at least another month with injury, likely returning in September. He acknowledged that Roma currently have limited squad depth and are pursuing new signings. "If I do the count at this moment we are few," he said, noting that Alessandro Molina has arrived to replace Zeki Çelik and will be seen in action on Tuesday, and that João Bahrim Castro was brought in to replace Artem Dovbyk alongside defender Koulierakis. Gasperini added: "D'Amico is searching and negotiating very young but also very important players. That is the direction."