Time for decisions: Gasperini waits for answers

Francesco Totti has revealed that Sinisa Mihajlovic called him shortly after his retirement from football to try to persuade him to play for Torino. Speaking in his book Oltre, Totti recounted how Mihajlovic made an emotional pitch to bring him back as a defender at the Serie A club. "Francesco, come give me a hand at Torino? What do you care, play another year, position yourself in front of the defence," Mihajlovic said. When Totti expressed concern about public opinion, Mihajlovic replied: "I'll handle the people. Come, you have fun, I have fun and the fans have fun." Totti responded with humour: "What are we doing, running a circus?" Mihajlovic intensified his efforts by appealing to Totti's emotions about the Turin club's heritage and suffering fanbase. "It's all magical here, Francesco. There's history, passion, the people, Superga. Every time I look at it from Turin it moves me. Think about how much the fans have suffered, we need to give them something back. All it takes is a spark and it becomes a fire. A beautiful fire," the former Torino manager urged. Totti, however, could only joke in response: "You need firefighters, not me." Despite Mihajlovic's persistent attempts—"But you think about it," he told Totti—the former Roma captain's reasoning never wavered. It was the same principle that had guided his entire career. His final answer was unequivocal: "Thanks Sini, but there's only Roma. Sorry." Mihajlovic had passed away, and Totti describes him as a friend who died too soon.

Roma have opened negotiations to extend Emanuele Lulli's contract, rewarding the defender's breakthrough performances this season under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The club pursued several external options at left-back—including targets such as Moreira and Oosterwolde before the arrival of Nahuel Molina—but found their solution in-house through Gasperini's faith in the academy product. Gasperini handed Lulli a starting role in Roma's first four league matches, a remarkable leap for a player who made his professional debut on 24 August against Fiorentina. The 2007-born defender has impressed with his composure and earned a call-up to Italy's Under 21 squad under Daniele Baldini during the international break. Roma's administration, working through D'Amico and Lulli's representatives, has begun formal discussions over a new contract to replace the existing deal, which expires in June. Both sides share a clear intent to continue their partnership, and talks are already well-structured. A decisive meeting is scheduled for the coming days to settle all remaining terms.

Roma, not head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, is behind the decision to block Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina from travelling to Lionel Messi's Argentina farewell match, according to reporting on 26 September. The narrative that Gasperini had vetoed the pair's participation has been contradicted: the coach has not closed the door, but the club itself harbours serious reservations about the logistics and risks involved. Dybala and Molina, both World Cup 2022 winners alongside Messi, have been invited with their families to the event in Buenos Aires. The core issue is timing and distance. A return trip would require them to cover over 22,000 kilometres combined and more than 26 hours of flying, crossing a double time zone, all within approximately three days. The fixture that concerns Roma most is Como–Roma on Sunday, 11 October, scheduled just 72 hours after their potential return. After a three-week international break, Gasperini's squad will resume with a difficult away fixture against a side competing for the upper reaches of the Serie A table. Roma's concern centres on player welfare rather than the symbolic weight of the event. Dybala has begun the season with physical consistency rarely seen in recent years, and the club does not wish to jeopardise that progress with such an arduous journey. Molina, having recently found rhythm and condition after a slower start, faces the risk of interrupting his phase of improvement at the worst moment. The club is aware of what Messi's farewell means to any Argentine player, and recognises the honour of the invitation alongside their families. Three other Roma squad members have been called up by Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni: Matías Soulé, Santiago Castro and Leonardo Balerdi. A final decision on Dybala and Molina will be made following discussions next week between the club, coaching staff and the players themselves, seeking to balance the emotional significance of the event against Roma's sporting needs.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is primed to return to action for Roma after recovering from injury, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini set to lean on him heavily during a congested fixture schedule. Pellegrini was included in the squad list for matches against Torino and Inter but will make his competitive return against Como. His last appearance came on 10 April against Pisa, a gap of nearly six months before Roma's big match at the Sinigaglia on 11 October. The summer transfer window failed to bring in the wide player or attacking reinforcement Gasperini sought, forcing the coach to rely on existing resources to manage the workload ahead. The Roma squad is stretched in attack, with Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé occupying the playmaker positions on the trequarti, bolstered only by the addition of Rodrigo Mora. Pellegrini will have opportunities because of this shortage, particularly across October and November when Roma face a relentless sequence of Serie A and Champions League fixtures. He has shed the captain's armband over the past year but remains a squad leader. With Stephan El Shaarawy's departure, he is certain to serve as vice-captain to Bryan Cristante. Last season, despite some difficulties, Pellegrini was Roma's second-highest scorer with seven goals across Serie A and the Europa League, surpassed only by Donyell Malen, who netted 15 goals and has proved increasingly consistent in front of goal.

Andrea Stramaccioni has defended Bryan Cristante's importance to Gasperini's Roma system, calling the midfielder fundamental to the club's approach. Speaking on Radio Manà Manà Sport, Stramaccioni praised Cristante's dual role as a ball-winning midfielder, saying: "Cristante is fundamental for Gasperini because he succeeds in interpreting the role of the double midfielder with physical strength, presence, aerial play and defensive protection. He is a player who runs, covers countless dimensions and does it with intelligence. In this moment he is a precious player, key. He is well, knows the coach's ideas and is important in the dressing room." Stramaccioni assessed Roma's current season position, noting that while the club has shown strength, Inter remain the favourites. "Roma has shown it can absolutely compete with the top side, but the top side in my view remains Inter," he said. He highlighted the scale of the challenge ahead: "Sunday there is Como, Wednesday Real Madrid: this is Roma's great test. These are technical and tactical factors, but also very mental ones." Roma must learn to compete for 90 minutes without errors or lapses in concentration, particularly against elite opponents, he added. On the Matteo Romano situation, Stramaccioni acknowledged Roma's constraints while defending the decision to let the academy product leave. "It is difficult to predict how a young player might impact Serie A, but Romano is doing what he must do. Cagliari made a clever deal," he said. Regarding Roma's negotiating position, he noted: "Roma was probably also conditioned by financial fair play. These are things easy to comment on from outside and difficult to manage from inside. I would have kept a buy-back clause, as the big clubs do."

Roma's radio stations have weighed in on the club's decision to prevent Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina from travelling to Argentina for Lionel Messi's farewell match, with most voices backing Gian Piero Gasperini's stance but expressing sympathy for the players' position. The core issue centres on fixture congestion and recovery time. Gasperini has reportedly blocked the pair from making the intercontinental journey because they are needed for Roma's upcoming match against Como, with the travel and the nature of the trip—a farewell party as much as a football occasion—presenting a fatigue risk. Dybala and Molina played in last summer's Copa América with Argentina and featured in the same World Cup squad as Messi, making the event emotionally significant. Multiple commentators acknowledged the difficulty of saying no to a once-in-a-lifetime occasion, yet sided with the coach's reasoning. Francesco Balzani (Tele Radio Stereo) noted Roma face a potential UEFA fine in November that could affect the January transfer market, though there is no concern at the club's headquarters about European competition exclusion. Alessandro Fusco (Radio Radio Mattino) argued neither player should even request permission, stating they should prioritize the club paying their wages. Franco Ordine added that Roma has already faced criticism from the Dutch national coach over the Donyell Malen situation, where it remained unclear what physical issue kept him unavailable. Stefano Agresti supported Gasperini, pointing out that Wesley, Malen and Bryan Cristante had already missed international action due to fitness concerns. Nando Orsi dissented, calling it excessive to prevent them attending a one-off farewell. Roberto Pruzzo suggested common sense would ultimately prevail. Simone Valdarchi summarized Trigoria's three pending questions: whether friendlies will be scheduled, when injured players return, and whether Dybala and Molina will depart for Messi's match—with the unofficial answer leaning toward no. Piero Torri criticised the scale of praise surrounding Matteo Nicolò Messi's departure from Roma, stating: "It seems like an exaggerated level of excitement about Romano. Certainly Roma made a mistake in not securing a buy-back clause on this player—they didn't leave themselves a safety valve." The official word on Dybala and Molina's travel plans remained pending as of match day.

Roma's international contingent made an impact during the first round of matches across their respective national teams. Rodrigo Mora, representing Portugal's Under-21 side, delivered an assist and created multiple chances in a 90-minute display against Bulgaria that drew praise. Manu Koné continued his strong form for France, deployed as a defensive midfielder against Turkey in a different role than his usual positioning, yet still ranked first for successful dribbles and maintained his stellar start to the season. Koné has now established himself as a cornerstone of the French setup under Zinedine Zidane. Roma sent 12 players on international duty during this break, giving head coach Gian Piero Gasperini a chance to recharge ahead of a strong start to the 2026-27 campaign while maintaining focus on rhythm and fitness. Rodrigo's performance underlined the club's expectations following a €50 million investment, with his growth trajectory in a Roma shirt becoming increasingly significant. The break comes at a critical juncture, balancing necessary rest with the imperative to sustain momentum after the club's impressive opening. Gianluca Mancini's display for Italy proved disappointing, marked by an error leading to Belgium's opening goal and imprecision in the first half, though he improved after the break and came close to scoring. Daniele Ghilardi was not selected for Italy and awaits his national team debut. Konstantinos Koulierakis remained unused on the bench in Greece's match against Serbia. Evan N'Dicka returned to action with Ivory Coast, delivering a solid performance in their victory against Ghana. The three Roma players on Argentina duty—Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi—face a friendly against Bolivia in four days, followed by Argentina's tribute match to Lionel Messi, a fixture where Nahuel Molina and Paulo Dybala are hoped to appear, though Roma has yet to confirm their release.

Radio commentators in Rome have divided over the performance of two Roma players on international duty. Gianluca Mancini came under criticism for his defending in Italy's latest match, while Nicolò Romano faced scrutiny for errors in his first appearances at senior level. Agresti said Romano had played five matches at a high level but had been unsettled by his elevation to the Italy squad. "On Italy's first goal, Mancini made a big mistake, but the move started from a poor pass by Romano. Yesterday he made errors he doesn't usually make," Agresti noted. Orsi was blunt about Mancini's responsibility: "A defender like Mancini cannot make certain errors—it is not the right way to face the opponent. The two goals conceded by Italy, if two players were switched on, they don't get conceded. Mancini is not 18 years old; he has to help in these situations." However, Orsi backed Romano: "Romano can make mistakes; you put him alongside Tonali and Barella, and they have to give more." Carina took a more measured view of Romano's adjustment. "We have to be calm with Romano: he has only played five matches. It's normal for him to alternate good and poor performances. He has been compared to Strootman, so obviously he will struggle—they have given him Italy's midfield." Mirabella also offered perspective: "He is an experiment and made plenty of mistakes, but it makes sense: he's young, it's his first experience, and he's only just started playing in Serie A." Stella reflected on Italy's broader troubles: "The enthusiasm over Italy has faded. I don't want to be punitive towards the coach, but I have no idea how we can get out of this tunnel."

Roma players on international duty produced mixed results across Europe and Africa on 26 September as the first round of fixtures in the international break played out. Rodrigo Mora was the standout performer for the Giallorossi, starting for Portugal Under 21 against Bulgaria in a Euro qualifier and playing all 90 minutes wearing the number 10. The 2007-born midfielder created the opening goal at the 50th minute, cutting into the area and delivering a low pass for Gustavo Varela to score. Portugal's lead did not hold; Bulgaria came from behind to win 2-1 with goals from Pavlov in the 87th minute and Marinov in stoppage time. Despite the defeat, Mora delivered a decisive contribution after losing recent game time with Roma. Manu Koné and Evan N'Dicka both completed 90 minutes in victories for their nations. Koné was an immediate starter in the new France squad under Zinedine Zidane, playing the entire Nations League match away to Turkey, which France won 1-0 through a Kylian Mbappé goal in the 54th minute; Koné received a yellow card in the closing stages. N'Dicka featured throughout Ivory Coast's 2-0 victory over Ghana in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying on the first matchday, with goals from Malick Yalcouyé and Franck Kessié, keeping a clean sheet in the centre of defence. Gianluca Mancini had a difficult evening at the Stadio Olimpico. The Roma defender started for Italy in a Nations League match against Belgium managed by Roberto Mancini, with the Azzurri defeated 2-0. Godts opened the scoring in the 20th minute, getting the better of Mancini, and Lukebakio added a second in the second half. The number 23 played the full match in a challenging performance for Italy's entire defensive unit. Konstantinos Koulierakis remained on the bench for Serbia's 2-1 loss to Greece, while young defender Daniele Ghilardi, called up to the senior squad for the first time, was left out of the 23-man squad for the Olimpico fixture. Further Roma players are due in action over the coming days. Leonardo Balerdi, Santiago Castro and Matías Soulé will begin their fixture cycle with Argentina on 30 September against Bolivia, the same day Mora returns with Portugal Under 21 against Gibraltar. On 1 October, Niccolò Pisilli and Emanuele Lulli will feature for Italy Under 21 against Armenia, and Giorgio De Marzi for the United States Under 19 against Brazil.

Gian Piero Gasperini is building Roma around a fluid squad model of roughly twenty starting-calibre players, where internal competition remains constant and selection shifts based on form. Konstantinos Koulierakis, Rodrigo Mora and Santiago Castro—costlier than €100 million combined—have accumulated just 323 minutes so far, but retain strategic value in a squad lacking depth for the season's demands. The trio face stiff competition from Roma's in-form performers. Gasperini has prioritised players delivering consistently strong displays: from Mile Svilar in goal to Donyell Malen in attack, and the defensive leaders including Paulo Dybala. The manager is studying Koulierakis, Mora and Castro carefully to find the right moments for insertion. Mora's opportunities depend on competition with Dybala and Matías Soulé, while Castro could complement Malen in a dynamic attack. Koulierakis awaits his opportunity, currently blocked by Leonardo Balerdi's growth and Mario Hermoso's solidity at the back. These represent significant investments reflecting the club's ambition to elevate standards and give Gasperini multiple solutions for a long season filled with commitments.

Roma's radio stations have intensified debate over whether Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina should be permitted to travel to Argentina to attend Lionel Messi's farewell celebration, with head coach Gasperini reportedly opposed to the plan and the club siding with him. The pair would return just 72 hours before Roma's Serie A match at Como—described by one commentator as the second-most difficult fixture in the league after Inter–Roma—raising concerns about recovery time and squad focus. Dybala and Molina both played with Messi for Argentina at the last World Cup and feel the personal pull strongly, but the consensus among most analysed voices is that allowing them to make an intercontinental journey so close to a crucial match would damage Roma's preparation. David Rossi on Rete Sport argued that professional players should not have requested permission in the first place: "They should have said, 'Caro Messi, you could have organised this on 1 October, we leave for Como on the 10th.'" He added that the club "always makes two weights and two measures" regarding Dybala specifically, suggesting he receives disproportionate scrutiny. Francesca Ferrazza on Tele Radio Stereo declared: "I wouldn't even send them to Capri on holiday now that everyone is leaving for these four days off, let alone to Argentina four days before Como–Roma." Piero Torri of Manà Manà Sport stated: "Molina and Dybala in Argentina would be counterproductive for Roma, returning 72 hours before the Como match. I think Gasperini and the club are absolutely not in agreement with it." Lorenzo Pes on Tele Radio Stereo said a decision would come "next week." The debate also touched on squad renewal: Lulli and Mario Hermoso are out of contract in June, with Lulli's renewal already under way through Pellegrini's agent. Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini are also approaching contract expiration, with much depending on how the season unfolds. The situation remains unresolved, with some voices—including Roberto Pruzzo—suggesting that "common sense will prevail" and that "common sense is staying in Rome," while others like Mario Mattioli believe the players will ultimately travel to what is described as a unique, unrepeatable event in football history.

Marten de Roon has arrived at Roma as Gian Piero Gasperini's most trusted lieutenant. The 35-year-old Dutch midfielder transferred to the club on the final day of the summer window after nine seasons at Atalanta, where he became Gasperini's preferred embodiment of his football — a tireless engine and tempo-setter. De Roon did not play a minute for Atalanta under Maurizio Sarri, which explains why Gasperini has used him sparingly since arrival. Now, with the international break providing crucial recovery time, de Roon is settling into the rhythms of Roma and preparing to make his mark on the supporters. For Gasperini, de Roon represents a tactical guarantee: an experienced, complete midfielder capable of rotating with Bryan Cristante as Roma face a congested schedule from October onwards — seven matches in eighteen days. De Roon's game rests on incessant running (averaging 11 kilometres per match), winning duels, launching counter-attacks and timely box incursions that occasionally yield goals. He has already earned the respect of his teammates and younger players, who regard him as a reference point. His knowledge of Gasperini's requirements and the dressing-room dynamics, forged over nearly a decade together, positions him as a guarantee of tactical equilibrium. De Roon has already made 43 appearances for Roma — third-most on the club's appearance list behind Paulo Dybala (53) and ahead of Nahuel Molina (37), Donyell Malen and Mario Hermoso (31 each). His experience will be essential as Roma prepare to face Real Madrid at the Stadio Olimpico on 14 October.