Veretout: Roma remains in my heart, I would return if they called

Pedro has announced his retirement from football at 39 years old after more than two decades as a professional. The Spanish forward won major honours across spells at Barcelona, Chelsea, Roma and Lazio, but in a retirement video posted on social media, he conspicuously excluded any footage from his time at Roma. During his single season at Giallorossi, Pedro made 27 appearances and scored five goals, yet the video contained no reference to that chapter. The omission appears connected to his subsequent move to Lazio and the fractured relationship that created with Roma supporters. Pedro did, however, include a derby goal from 2021—a pointed inclusion that underscores the tension between his brief stint in the Giallorossi colours and his stronger bond with the Biancocelesti.

Roma fans have sold out the 3,000 away allocation for the Old Trafford fixture in less than 24 hours, signalling a significant travelling support for the Champions League match on 3 November against Manchester United. The game will be Roma's fourth match in the league phase of the competition. Roma have begun their European campaign with a 1–1 draw away to Fenerbahce. Two further group-stage matches follow in October at the Olimpico: against Real Madrid on 14 October and Slovan Bratislava on 20 October. The last meeting between Roma and Manchester United came in 2021 in the Europa League, when Roma lost 6–2 in England before securing a 3–2 victory in the home leg.

Alberto Aquilani, a former Roma midfielder, has expressed confidence in the club's championship prospects ahead of the resumption of Serie A. Speaking to Il Messaggero, Aquilani praised both the squad and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, saying Roma have the strength and depth to compete for the title. "Very strong and complete squad," Aquilani said of Roma. "It got off to the right start, it can fight for the top." On Gasperini's impact at the club, Aquilani was emphatic in his assessment: "For what he has done and communicated, he is a master—he is one in what he does. He revolutionised the way we play with all-round pressing, with his way of understanding the match and I think also training. He is an innovator." Aquilani's endorsement reflects the optimism surrounding Roma's campaign this season, with particular emphasis on Gasperini's tactical innovations and influence over the squad's approach to matches.

Roma have renewed their interest in Issa Doumbia following his maiden start for Italy against Turkey on Sunday, which the Giallorossi won 3–1. The 22-year-old Sporting CP midfielder impressed Roma and Juventus during the match, according to Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur. Doumbia played the full 90 minutes and was involved in the build-up to Italy's first and third goals, a display that has brought fresh attention to a player Roma were already monitoring during the summer transfer window. Doumbia moved from Venezia to Sporting in June and signed a contract until 2031 with the Portuguese club. His agreement includes a €80 million release clause, officially confirmed by Sporting at the time of his transfer. That figure does not necessarily represent Sporting's asking price for any negotiation, but demonstrates the club's confidence in the player and the difficulty of engineering a move in the near term. For now, Roma's stance appears to be one of interest and observation rather than active pursuit. The midfielder's performance in the Stadio Olimpico victory gave him a significant platform at international level. His involvement in two of Italy's goals under Roberto Mancini underlined the quality that has drawn Roma's eye previously, and the display has intensified Italian clubs' focus on a prospect already known to the Giallorossi.

Roberto Mancini is settling into his return as Italy manager with the Azzurri in second place after four Nations League matches, despite an early defeat to Belgium. He has maintained his trademark approach of rapidly integrating young talent into the senior setup, with 64 youth debutants in 65 matches spent in the national team dugout. During the most recent international window, he introduced Alessandro Romano, Issa Doumbia, Michael Kayode, Sebastiano Esposito, Matteo Ruggeri, Antonio Vergara, and Mohamed Alì Zoma, who all performed credibly. Niccolò Pisilli, a Roma squad member, is among the next group of youngsters in line for a call-up, alongside Alphadjo Cissè, Cher Ndour, and Antonio Raimondo. A couple of them already featured for Italy in June when Silvio Baldini was caretaker manager. Three additional newcomers—Honest Ahanor, Eddy Kouadio, and Samuel Inacio—made their first squad call-ups but will have to wait until November to earn their maiden caps; Mancini held back the latter two partly to avoid triggering national team calls from Côte d'Ivoire and Brazil, though he notes Italy's U-21 side also needed them for European Championship qualification. Mancini observed that the players showed greater unity, tactical cohesion, spirit, and commitment than in the final stretch of his previous reign and the subsequent periods under different coaches. Most of the young talent are expected to remain at the forefront, with their quality and energy already evident.

Jordan Veretout, speaking exclusively to Retesport, reflected on his time at Roma and his admiration for Gian Piero Gasperini's current side. The midfielder made 131 appearances for the club, scoring 22 goals and providing 16 assists. On the prospect of playing under Gasperini, Veretout said: "He is a great coach in Italy and has proved it in Europe too. I enjoy watching Roma a lot — it is vertical football, strong, constant pressure. When I see Roma's defenders arriving to score, it is spectacular. I hope this year the Giallorossi team can win the Scudetto. By characteristics I would have enjoyed it, I would certainly have improved further. At Marseille under Tudor we played a similar system. It would have pleased me to be coached by him — when I was at Roma, Atalanta wanted me, so I think Gasperini wanted me with him." Veretout singled out his penalty against Napoli as his favourite Roma goal, describing it as "a very heavy ball" after Dzeko and Kolarov helped set it up. He also paid tribute to Radja Nainggolan, calling him "the strongest midfielder in Serie A" and expressing regret at never playing alongside him at Roma. On fellow Frenchman Manu Koné, Veretout said: "I watch him with affection — he is French like me. I am happy he is doing well in Giallorosso and I wish him to win at Roma because it is special." Veretout addressed his final season under José Mourinho, when early form—three goals in the opening two matches—gave way to reduced playing time. "I had a good relationship with him," Veretout explained. "I don't know if it was him or the club first that meant I played less. We talked about a renewal but could not reach an agreement, then the Marseille offer came. I had a good relationship with Mou — he was always very close to the players. He is and remains number one. We won with him, and that will stay with us forever." He also recalled the 2022 UEFA Europa Conference League victory in Tirana, saying: "It was a difficult competition and we wanted to win it from the start. When we celebrated in the centre of Rome with thousands of fans, I still get shivers today. I show the images to my son." On his current life in Doha, Veretout stated: "I am well here, a spectacular life, though football is harder than people think. The most important thing for me is my family and I do this for them too. If Roma calls me, my wife says she wants to return to the capital. I am not finished — I can still help if Roma wants me, I am here." He remains in touch with several former teammates including Gianluca Mancini, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante, and continues to follow the club closely.

Radio pundits across Rome's major stations offered contrasting views on Roma's immediate prospects and Serie A title race as Gian Piero Gasperini's side prepares for a difficult run of fixtures. The central debate centred on Roma's chances against Como in the coming days and their broader credentials this season, with several voices backing the team to succeed despite midfield concerns. Lorenzo Pes argued that Roma has the tools to win both the Como match and later the Real Madrid fixture, though he cautioned against rushing Lorenzo Pellegrini back too soon. "I don't really expect Pellegrini to start, even though the Como match calls more for a trequartista," Pes said. "But putting a player who hasn't played since mid-April into a match that will be very intense doesn't seem wise." Mario Corsi framed Gasperini's anxiety around injury prevention as evidence of the manager's belief in the squad's potential. "Gasperini has a terror of losing players to injury," Corsi explained, "because he is convinced that this Roma with all its full complement can do something frightening. The injury to Cristante is not a tragedy; the tragedies would be injuries to Malen, Dybala or Svilar." Other contributors highlighted the volatility of post-international-break football. Fabio Petruzzi noted that both Como and Roma had individual duels to determine the outcome: "Where is the mismatch? Perhaps the head, how you prepare psychologically. I see Gasperini calm. He is a pain in the neck, in the good sense of the term, but he transmits tranquility to me; he seems like someone who knows he has something important in his hands." Alessio Nardo recalled Roma's poor record returning from breaks, citing defeats to Torino (0–1 in September), Inter (0–1 in October) and a 5–2 loss at San Siro in March of the previous season. On the title race, Roberto Pruzzo held firm to the view that Inter held a structural advantage despite a compressed table. "Despite the league being very tight at the moment, I still think Inter has 10 points of advantage over the others, but then it must put those points together and that isn't easy." Nando Orsi disagreed sharply, countering that Roma had nearly closed the gap and positioning the two teams as the likeliest contenders for the championship, with Como as a dark horse.

Jordan Veretout, speaking exclusively to Retesport, reflected on his time at Roma and his admiration for Gian Piero Gasperini's current side. The midfielder made 131 appearances for the club, scoring 22 goals and providing 16 assists. On the prospect of playing under Gasperini, Veretout said: "He is a great coach in Italy and has proved it in Europe too. I enjoy watching Roma a lot — it is vertical football, strong, constant pressure. When I see Roma's defenders arriving to score, it is spectacular. I hope this year the Giallorossi team can win the Scudetto. By characteristics I would have enjoyed it, I would certainly have improved further. At Marseille under Tudor we played a similar system. It would have pleased me to be coached by him — when I was at Roma, Atalanta wanted me, so I think Gasperini wanted me with him." Veretout singled out his penalty against Napoli as his favourite Roma goal, describing it as "a very heavy ball" after Dzeko and Kolarov helped set it up. He also paid tribute to Radja Nainggolan, calling him "the strongest midfielder in Serie A" and expressing regret at never playing alongside him at Roma. On fellow Frenchman Manu Koné, Veretout said: "I watch him with affection — he is French like me. I am happy he is doing well in Giallorosso and I wish him to win at Roma because it is special." Veretout addressed his final season under José Mourinho, when early form—three goals in the opening two matches—gave way to reduced playing time. "I had a good relationship with him," Veretout explained. "I don't know if it was him or the club first that meant I played less. We talked about a renewal but could not reach an agreement, then the Marseille offer came. I had a good relationship with Mou — he was always very close to the players. He is and remains number one. We won with him, and that will stay with us forever." He also recalled the 2022 UEFA Europa Conference League victory in Tirana, saying: "It was a difficult competition and we wanted to win it from the start. When we celebrated in the centre of Rome with thousands of fans, I still get shivers today. I show the images to my son." On his current life in Doha, Veretout stated: "I am well here, a spectacular life, though football is harder than people think. The most important thing for me is my family and I do this for them too. If Roma calls me, my wife says she wants to return to the capital. I am not finished — I can still help if Roma wants me, I am here." He remains in touch with several former teammates including Gianluca Mancini, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante, and continues to follow the club closely.

Gian Piero Gasperini is preparing Roma for Sunday's trip to Como, kickoff 12:30 at the Sinigaglia, with three key selection dilemmas to resolve. The primary question concerns who will partner Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen in attack, with Lorenzo Pellegrini reportedly in front-runner status against Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora. Pellegrini has completed his recovery and trained encouragingly on Saturday; crucially, he is the only one of the three who worked at Trigoria throughout the international break without travelling for his national team. Soulé will return from Argentina only in the coming days after participating in the Albiceleste's fixtures and Messi farewell celebrations, meaning Gasperini will not have him available until Friday—just 48 hours before kickoff. Rodrigo Mora, engaged with Portugal Under-21, will also return during the week. Pellegrini's case is strengthened not only by continuity of preparation but by defensive contribution: without the injured Bryan Cristante, Gasperini may need the attacking midfielder to provide additional midfield cover and pressing against Como's possession-based approach under Fabregas, helping to compress spaces between the lines. In midfield, Marten de Roon is the leading candidate to replace Cristante, whose knee problem makes his availability in Como highly unlikely. Gasperini will not take risks and can draw on his knowledge of the Dutch midfielder from their Atalanta days. Manu Koné, expected at Trigoria today after France duty, will partner him, tasked with ball recovery, pressing support and rapid transition from defence to attack. At the back, Evan N'Dicka and Leonardo Balerdi are competing for a place, with N'Dicka potentially returning to the starting eleven after international football. N'Dicka has already returned to Trigoria; Balerdi faces the long journey from Argentina and is not expected to train with the group until Friday. Energy management may therefore influence Gasperini's choices. More positive news arrives from Donyell Malen and Wesley, both of whom took part in Saturday's session and are expected to be available for Sunday barring late problems. Malen's return would allow Gasperini to maintain his primary attacking reference, while Wesley provides important resources for pressing Como's wide areas. The Sinigaglia trip opens a particularly intense phase of the season. After Como, Roma will host Real Madrid in the Champions League, followed by a fixture against Genoa. Three close-fixture demands will force Gasperini to think beyond Sunday's starting eleven and into energy distribution across all three matches. For that reason, Soulé, Mora and Pellegrini may all find minutes in the coming fixtures regardless of who starts against Como.

Radio pundits across Rome's major stations offered contrasting views on Roma's immediate prospects and Serie A title race as Gian Piero Gasperini's side prepares for a difficult run of fixtures. The central debate centred on Roma's chances against Como in the coming days and their broader credentials this season, with several voices backing the team to succeed despite midfield concerns. Lorenzo Pes argued that Roma has the tools to win both the Como match and later the Real Madrid fixture, though he cautioned against rushing Lorenzo Pellegrini back too soon. "I don't really expect Pellegrini to start, even though the Como match calls more for a trequartista," Pes said. "But putting a player who hasn't played since mid-April into a match that will be very intense doesn't seem wise." Mario Corsi framed Gasperini's anxiety around injury prevention as evidence of the manager's belief in the squad's potential. "Gasperini has a terror of losing players to injury," Corsi explained, "because he is convinced that this Roma with all its full complement can do something frightening. The injury to Cristante is not a tragedy; the tragedies would be injuries to Malen, Dybala or Svilar." Other contributors highlighted the volatility of post-international-break football. Fabio Petruzzi noted that both Como and Roma had individual duels to determine the outcome: "Where is the mismatch? Perhaps the head, how you prepare psychologically. I see Gasperini calm. He is a pain in the neck, in the good sense of the term, but he transmits tranquility to me; he seems like someone who knows he has something important in his hands." Alessio Nardo recalled Roma's poor record returning from breaks, citing defeats to Torino (0–1 in September), Inter (0–1 in October) and a 5–2 loss at San Siro in March of the previous season. On the title race, Roberto Pruzzo held firm to the view that Inter held a structural advantage despite a compressed table. "Despite the league being very tight at the moment, I still think Inter has 10 points of advantage over the others, but then it must put those points together and that isn't easy." Nando Orsi disagreed sharply, countering that Roma had nearly closed the gap and positioning the two teams as the likeliest contenders for the championship, with Como as a dark horse.

Jordan Veretout, speaking exclusively to Retesport, reflected on his time at Roma and his admiration for Gian Piero Gasperini's current side. The midfielder made 131 appearances for the club, scoring 22 goals and providing 16 assists. On the prospect of playing under Gasperini, Veretout said: "He is a great coach in Italy and has proved it in Europe too. I enjoy watching Roma a lot — it is vertical football, strong, constant pressure. When I see Roma's defenders arriving to score, it is spectacular. I hope this year the Giallorossi team can win the Scudetto. By characteristics I would have enjoyed it, I would certainly have improved further. At Marseille under Tudor we played a similar system. It would have pleased me to be coached by him — when I was at Roma, Atalanta wanted me, so I think Gasperini wanted me with him." Veretout singled out his penalty against Napoli as his favourite Roma goal, describing it as "a very heavy ball" after Dzeko and Kolarov helped set it up. He also paid tribute to Radja Nainggolan, calling him "the strongest midfielder in Serie A" and expressing regret at never playing alongside him at Roma. On fellow Frenchman Manu Koné, Veretout said: "I watch him with affection — he is French like me. I am happy he is doing well in Giallorosso and I wish him to win at Roma because it is special." Veretout addressed his final season under José Mourinho, when early form—three goals in the opening two matches—gave way to reduced playing time. "I had a good relationship with him," Veretout explained. "I don't know if it was him or the club first that meant I played less. We talked about a renewal but could not reach an agreement, then the Marseille offer came. I had a good relationship with Mou — he was always very close to the players. He is and remains number one. We won with him, and that will stay with us forever." He also recalled the 2022 UEFA Europa Conference League victory in Tirana, saying: "It was a difficult competition and we wanted to win it from the start. When we celebrated in the centre of Rome with thousands of fans, I still get shivers today. I show the images to my son." On his current life in Doha, Veretout stated: "I am well here, a spectacular life, though football is harder than people think. The most important thing for me is my family and I do this for them too. If Roma calls me, my wife says she wants to return to the capital. I am not finished — I can still help if Roma wants me, I am here." He remains in touch with several former teammates including Gianluca Mancini, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante, and continues to follow the club closely.

Gian Piero Gasperini is preparing Roma for Sunday's trip to Como, kickoff 12:30 at the Sinigaglia, with three key selection dilemmas to resolve. The primary question concerns who will partner Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen in attack, with Lorenzo Pellegrini reportedly in front-runner status against Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora. Pellegrini has completed his recovery and trained encouragingly on Saturday; crucially, he is the only one of the three who worked at Trigoria throughout the international break without travelling for his national team. Soulé will return from Argentina only in the coming days after participating in the Albiceleste's fixtures and Messi farewell celebrations, meaning Gasperini will not have him available until Friday—just 48 hours before kickoff. Rodrigo Mora, engaged with Portugal Under-21, will also return during the week. Pellegrini's case is strengthened not only by continuity of preparation but by defensive contribution: without the injured Bryan Cristante, Gasperini may need the attacking midfielder to provide additional midfield cover and pressing against Como's possession-based approach under Fabregas, helping to compress spaces between the lines. In midfield, Marten de Roon is the leading candidate to replace Cristante, whose knee problem makes his availability in Como highly unlikely. Gasperini will not take risks and can draw on his knowledge of the Dutch midfielder from their Atalanta days. Manu Koné, expected at Trigoria today after France duty, will partner him, tasked with ball recovery, pressing support and rapid transition from defence to attack. At the back, Evan N'Dicka and Leonardo Balerdi are competing for a place, with N'Dicka potentially returning to the starting eleven after international football. N'Dicka has already returned to Trigoria; Balerdi faces the long journey from Argentina and is not expected to train with the group until Friday. Energy management may therefore influence Gasperini's choices. More positive news arrives from Donyell Malen and Wesley, both of whom took part in Saturday's session and are expected to be available for Sunday barring late problems. Malen's return would allow Gasperini to maintain his primary attacking reference, while Wesley provides important resources for pressing Como's wide areas. The Sinigaglia trip opens a particularly intense phase of the season. After Como, Roma will host Real Madrid in the Champions League, followed by a fixture against Genoa. Three close-fixture demands will force Gasperini to think beyond Sunday's starting eleven and into energy distribution across all three matches. For that reason, Soulé, Mora and Pellegrini may all find minutes in the coming fixtures regardless of who starts against Como.