Totti on the number 10: why he refused Roma's request to hand it to Dybala

Gian Piero Gasperini met with AS Roma's business partners on 23 September, offering reflections on the club's direction and his approach to the role. Speaking about Roma's recent fixture against Inter, he said: "It was a spectacle. Thanks also to the new rules that now prevent time-wasting and favour entertainment, we are working well and I am very satisfied." Addressing the assembled sponsors and entrepreneurs, Gasperini emphasised the parallel between business success and football: "To make excellent investments you must have excellent ideas—that is the foundation for creating a business. Thank you also for the confidence you give to Roma, which gives us an extra responsibility." He highlighted Roma as a demanding environment where hard work and commitment are valued by those invested in the club. Gasperini revealed personal touches during the evening: he loves amatriciana, and on 5 October his wine house will unveil a new vintage called Freisa 3-4-3. "I chose this name because the 3-4-3 has been my fortune," he explained, "and I hope it brings good fortune too. With that formation I built almost all my successes."

Gian Piero Gasperini spoke at a Roma commercial partners event held at Relais Appia Antica, addressing the club's atmosphere, the pressures of the city, and his broader philosophy on football and business. The head coach, whose side currently tops the league standings, discussed what it takes to succeed at a demanding Roman club. "I knew that tactically it is very demanding and difficult," Gasperini said. "But what counts in football beyond results is the demonstration of knowing how to work seriously. And that is always appreciated." Gasperini also reflected on Roma's recent fixture against Inter, praising the spectacle it produced under football's new regulations that minimise time-wasting. "It was a show. Also thanks to the new rules that now allow us to have no time losses and privilege spectacle, we are working well and I am very happy," he said. In his address to the club's commercial partners, he stressed the importance of sound ideas in business: "To make excellent investments you must have excellent ideas, it is the foundation for creating a business, and thanks to you also for the confidence you give to Roma and which also gives us extra responsibility." Gasperini revealed personal detail about a wine from his Cantina Gilli in the Astigiano region, releasing on 5 October. Named "Freisa 3-4-3" after the 3-4-3 formation that has underpinned his tactical success, he explained: "I chose this name because 3-4-3 has been my fortune and so I hope it is a good omen, with that system I have built almost all my successes."

Gian Piero Gasperini spoke at Roma's first official event with commercial partners on the evening of 23 September, held at Relais Appia Antica, addressing the demands of managing at the club and reflecting on Roma's recent form. Currently top of the table, Gasperini acknowledged that Roma is a historically demanding destination. "Roma is a difficult place? I knew that footballistically it is very demanding and difficult. But what matters in football beyond results is the demonstration of knowing how to work seriously. And that is always appreciated," he said. Gasperini highlighted the entertainment value of Roma's recent 0–0 draw against Inter at the Olimpico, crediting new competition regulations that reduce delays and prioritise spectacle. "It was a spectacle. Also thanks to the new rules that now allow us not to have time losses and to privilege the spectacle, we are working well and I am very happy," he told the assembled sponsors and entrepreneurs. He drew a parallel between football and business, emphasising the importance of sound ideas and the responsibility that commercial support brings to the club. Beyond football matters, Gasperini revealed a personal passion for amatriciana pasta and discussed his involvement in the wine business. Cantina Gilli in Asti will present a new wine label on 5 October: a Freisa wine named 3-4-3. "I chose this name because the 3-4-3 has been my fortune and so I hope it is a good omen; with that formation I built almost all my successes," Gasperini explained. The tactical formation that defines his managerial career now appears on the bottle's label.

Abel Balbo, the former Roma striker, has praised the club's attacking prowess in an interview with Il Messaggero, backing them to challenge for the Serie A title this season. Balbo said Roma are "beautiful to watch, entertaining and getting results" and predicted "an extraordinary campaign", though he acknowledged Inter remain the stronger squad overall. "Roma is the only one that can compete for the title," he said. Balbo reserved special praise for Dybala and Malen's partnership. On Malen specifically, he said: "He is a simple and effective player and the most difficult thing in football is to play with simplicity and he does it better than anyone. He's quick, he knows how to move, he attacks spaces, he sees goal easily. He is outstanding. He scores goals the way great strikers do." Balbo highlighted Malen's versatility: "He scores in every way. With great play or as he did against Torino by shooting from the ground. The striker is like that — he doesn't care how he puts the ball in the net as long as he scores and reaches the objective." When asked if Malen could surpass the 36-goal record held by Higuain and Immobile, Balbo said: "It's difficult to maintain that goal average but if others have managed it why can't he? I wish it for him because if he does it means Roma would get close to or even actually win the title." On Dybala, Balbo added: "Paulo is a champion and he always improves. This year he is doing extraordinary work, with him on the pitch the team flows better. He is magic and fantasy." Balbo also noted the importance of Roma's Argentine contingent, saying they bring "character and quality" and a "winning mentality that they transmit to the group."

Former striker Abel Balbo has praised Roma's early-season form under Gian Piero Gasperini, saying the team is entertaining to watch and delivering results. Balbo singled out Donyell Malen for particular praise: "He is very strong, scores like the great strikers and is functional to Gasperini's style of play." He also commended Paulo Dybala: "He is magic and fantasy; with him on the pitch the team runs better." On Roma's league position, Balbo assessed that while Inter remain superior, Roma are now the only side capable of competing for the title. Matías Soulé has earned a callup to Argentina's squad following a strong start to the 2026–27 season. The winger has scored 2 goals and provided 1 assist across his first 6 matches. Soulé will join teammates Santiago Castro and Leonardo Balerdi in the Argentina setup for forthcoming friendlies against Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin. The fixture against Benin on 6 October will be Lionel Messi's final appearance for the Argentina national team. Soulé marked the moment on social media: "Enjoying these moments."

Francesco Totti has disclosed in his autobiography *Oltre* that Roma approached him to personally hand Paulo Dybala the number 10 shirt when Dybala arrived at the club in the summer of 2022. Totti declined the offer directly. The number 10 has remained unassigned at Roma since Totti's retirement, worn by no other player in the years since. Totti explained his refusal was not a reflection on Dybala as a player. "If you have the courage, give it to him yourselves," Totti said. "Nothing against the player—quite the opposite, I like him very much, and he is a very good person. If you intend to do this, go ahead, but don't involve me." His core objection was to the framing of the decision: he did not want to become the guarantor of a choice made by the club without his involvement. "I didn't want the responsibility for someone else's decision to fall on me, a decision I had absolutely nothing to do with. The Roma number 10 carries weight, and it would inevitably invite comparisons with me. Dybala, if he's fit, can make a difference." In *Oltre*, Totti outlined his vision for the shirt's future. He said he would never retire the number 10 permanently—"that would be like denying a wonderful dream to children. Every day I hope another Totti emerges: someone born in Rome, raised in Rome, who chooses Roma for life, for eternity." However, he argued against assigning it to players with limited tenure. "It would be a different matter to give that uniform to someone who arrives from the other side of the world, stays for a limited period and then leaves. It is too important a symbol, and should only be entrusted to someone who could potentially play for Roma for fifteen or twenty years."