Svilar on Champions League and Roma's future; Kumbulla departs on loan to Rayo Vallecano

Roma spent the penultimate day of their United Kingdom pre-season tour in transit to Brighton on 7 August, departing Vale Resort after a final training session in the morning before flying to London at 18:00 and travelling by coach to the south coast. Brighton's official social media channels welcomed the Giallorossi with a video set to Lando Fiorini's 'Forza Roma', the club's anthem. Paulo Dybala and his teammates arrived at the Maldron Hotel in the evening, where they stayed overnight ahead of tomorrow's friendly. The fixture against Brighton takes place at the Amex Stadium at 16:00 Italian time on 8 August, marking the first meeting between the sides since their Europa League encounter two years ago. Roma will return to the capital immediately after the match, with training resuming on Tuesday. The club's pre-season schedule concludes with a final test against Borussia Dortmund on 15 August before the Serie A season opener on 24 August against Fiorentina at the Olimpico.

AS Roma concluded their time at the Vale Resort in Wales on 7 August, with the squad departing for Brighton as their pre-season tour in the United Kingdom entered its final stages. The players completed their last training session in the morning before flying to London at 18:00 and travelling by coach to Brighton. The CEO was present for the transfer to the south coast. Roma are in the closing days of their UK tour ahead of the 2026–27 season under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The club has been active in the transfer market this summer, and the journey to Brighton marks a key moment in their preparations for the new campaign. The pre-season schedule reflects the club's commitment to building match fitness and tactical cohesion ahead of the competitive fixtures to come.

Roma completed their journey to Brighton on 7 August, ending their pre-season training camp in Wales and relocating to England ahead of a friendly fixture at the American Express Stadium on 8 August. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini led the squad to the south-coast club, accompanied by newly appointed CEO John Galantic. The trip marks the final stage of Roma's summer preparation before the 2026–27 season. The club had previously held their training retreat at Vale Resort in Hensol, Wales, before moving to Brighton to conclude their warm-up schedule in the United Kingdom.

Lorenzo Pellegrini has signed a contract extension with Roma through 30 June 2027, ending speculation from Premier League clubs and Juventus. An official announcement is expected in the coming hours. The move secures the club's number 7 and caps weeks of negotiation. Mile Svilar reinforced his commitment to the club in a radio interview, saying: "I am happy here, my family is happy here. I want to stay at Roma." He outlined the squad's objectives: progressing in the Champions League, starting strongly in Serie A, and maintaining competitive intensity. Bryan Cristante, speaking from the pre-season camp, expressed enthusiasm for Gian Piero Gasperini's work and confirmed the group is eager to reunite with Pellegrini. Cristante also dismissed reports of lingering tension with Paulo Dybala: "Everything was cleared up immediately, with no lasting issues." Ticket sales for Roma's home opener against Fiorentina on Monday 24 August at 20:45 began today, generating immediate demand with over 3,000 supporters queuing online. The 40,000 season-ticket allocation was exhausted long ago. Separately, Marash Kumbulla's departure to Rayo Vallecano on a loan with a right of redemption was confirmed, ending his Roma tenure after 68 appearances, 4 goals, and the 2022 Conference League triumph.

Roma will face Brighton in a pre-season friendly at the American Express Stadium on 8 August 2026 at 16:00 Italian time. The match comes after Roma's training camp in Wales and friendlies against Cardiff and Newport County. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is expected to field a 3-4-2-1 formation with Mile Svilar in goal, a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso, midfielders Devyne Rensch, Neil El Aynaoui, Bryan Cristante, and Wesley, with Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé in attacking roles behind striker Donyell Malen. Tickets for the fixture are available through Brighton's official website. The friendly will be broadcast live on DAZN, with live text coverage available on ilromanista.eu and radio commentary from Radio Romanista providing real-time updates from the stadium.

Mile Svilar has expressed his ambition to play at some of Europe's biggest stadiums with Roma in the Champions League. Speaking on Radio Romanista, the goalkeeper revealed he has never visited the Bernabéu as a professional and has also never appeared at Dortmund's ground or Paris Saint-Germain's Parc des Princes. Svilar stressed the importance of Roma starting the 2026-27 season strongly in Serie A before the club's European campaign begins. He noted that fine margins often decide final positions, observing that in each of his last two seasons Roma missed Champions League qualification by just one or two points from Juventus and Milan. "We must aim to finish in the top eight and then play in the play-offs," he said. "Before we see who we'll play in the Champions League, we must first start the season well in Serie A." The goalkeeper expressed particular enthusiasm about the prospect of playing at the Bernabéu, saying: "For me at the Bernabéu, just for the experience of the stadium. But it would also be beautiful at the Olimpico!" He added that Roma will travel to Dortmund within ten days. Svilar believes matches against elite European opponents offer valuable learning opportunities and are enjoyable contests to play in.