Totti on his 50th birthday: right not to return to playing, would have disappointed millions of fans

Walter Sabatini, the former Roma sporting director, has praised the club's start to the season under Gian Piero Gasperini, declaring them genuine contenders for the Serie A title. Speaking to Tuttosport, Sabatini highlighted the strength of the current squad despite a lack of an attacking left winger. "I don't think Roma is suffering from this absence or any other gap in the squad today, because Roma really seems to be a serene candidate to fight all the way for the Scudetto given how they're playing," he said. "There's a formidable cohesion among the players and an unexpected physical condition from players like Paulo Dybala. There are all very positive centrifugal forces in Roma." Sabatini offered a measured assessment of midfielder Rodrigo Mora's impact on the club. "Players must have an impact according to what they are. I think Rodrigo is certainly a talented player, but not yet a talent—he's a player with a very consistent technical repertoire. But now he must test himself in a very tactically difficult league: they control him, they care for him, they mark him. And he must put himself in a position not to be swallowed by the field. Often footballers get swallowed by the field. And this must not happen with Rodrigo Mora," Sabatini explained. He stressed that Manu Koné is a fundamental player for Roma: "He's a central barrier that stops all the possible counterattacks of opponents and puts Roma straight back in attack because he wins many balls. Then now I see he's started to look for the goal and score, which was a limit he had—he never looked for the goal. Now that he's scored two goals in a match will probably ignite a passion... a new passion in him." When asked about accusations from Roma fans that he is a "Laziale" because of his previous work at Lazio, Sabatini rejected the label. "I don't care about it at all," he said. "I worked proudly at Lazio and I've always said so. I owe a lot to Lotito, because working with him for a few years allowed me to re-enter a world that was slipping away from me. After Lazio I went to Palermo and there my work was rewarded by results and the value of the players. I will never renounce the clubs I've worked for and I'm not offended if Roma fans say I'm a Laziale. Of course, I was a Laziale because I love the clubs I work for. And the same happened to me at Lazio. Naturally at Roma I had more time—Roma became the story of my life. All the time I spent at Roma is practically the time of my entire life, even in experiences and feelings outside the field." Sabatini compared Roma's current strength to Como under Andrés Fabregas, crediting Gasperini's tactical identity for Roma's success. "Roma under Gasperini right now is a very strong squad because there's cohesion on the field and a shared vision between coach and squad that produces an exceptional result," he said. Regarding the former Roma manager Daniele De Rossi, now facing difficulties at Genoa with a depleted squad, Sabatini offered no specific advice: "I wouldn't give him any advice because I know he has remarkable inner strength and he will use it, because the only thing a coach can do is resist."

AS Roma has received formal planning approval for its new stadium at Pietralata following a conference of services concluded today. Rome's mayor Roberto Gualtieri announced the clearance and expressed optimism about the project timeline. He said: "It is a historic day. After four years of work, we only lacked formal approval for the project. Now it is certain, the stadium will be built and will be one of the most beautiful in the world." Gualtieri outlined an accelerated schedule for construction. The groundbreaking is planned for March 2027, with a construction period of two and a half years, potentially allowing the stadium to be ready by the end of 2029—ahead of the original 2031 completion date. The mayor stated: "Now we will begin the tender process. All the conditions are in place to lay the foundation stone in March 2027. The construction site lasts two and a half years, so the stadium could be ready by the end of 2029."

Roma's new stadium at Pietralata has cleared its decisive regulatory hurdle. On the morning of 28 September, the concluding session of the Services Conference took place at 10:30, chaired by Massimo Sessa, extraordinary commissioner for Euro 2032 stadiums. The Conference issued a favourable opinion and Sessa released the single authorization for the stadium's construction, opening the operational phase of the project for Roma. The timeline targets work starting in March 2027, with completion scheduled by 2031. The stadium has been designed not simply as a venue for Roma matches but as an integrated urban structure usable year-round. Sessa emphasized the historical weight of the decision, noting that the project originated in the 1980s under former Roma president Dino Viola. He said: "It is something that began in the 1980s with the former Roma president Dino Viola. Today there is finally certainty that we can do something that benefits the city, the supporters and everyone." He added: "We have the modern vision of a stadium that will be open and alive 365 days a year." On the project's prospects, Sessa stated: "If I am confident? I am optimistic by nature. I believe things must be prepared well so that everything works." Pietralata now enters a new phase, one that will transform the blueprint into Roma's future home stadium.