Weekly ratings: Roma fans' affection for Totti, the stadium project, and Di María's timeless left foot

Francesco Totti has revealed fresh details of his time as a Roma executive under James Pallotta in a new memoir, describing a fractious relationship with the club's hierarchy that left him increasingly sidelined and frustrated. In his book *Oltre*, the former captain explained that his brief stint in a directorial role began in summer 2017, shortly after his retirement as a player, but quickly deteriorated into disappointment. "The club started using me as a figurehead or little more, and I found myself withering on the sofa," Totti wrote. When he attempted to move closer to football operations, he discovered he had no real authority: decisions were only rubber-stamped when they aligned with those of senior management. Totti's most significant clash came over Eusebio Di Francesco, Roma's manager at the time, whom Totti respected but believed was being undermined by those in charge. The crisis point arrived during discussions over the signing of Javier Pastore from Paris Saint-Germain. At a meeting that included Mauro Baldissoni, Monchi, Federico Balzaretti, and Francesco Vallone, Totti voiced his assessment of how Pastore would fit into Di Francesco's 4-3-3 system. "I have nothing against Pastore," Totti said. "But he doesn't fit this system at all. Where do you play him in a 4-3-3? With the legs he has he can't play out wide, he hasn't got the strength. If you need someone for the final pass, fine, we're on the same page, but you need to change the system. We need a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-1-2." Baldissoni's response stung. "You always see problems, Francesco, you're always against us," he shot back. Totti was wounded: "Against Roma? Me? I didn't know whether to laugh or cry." He approached the executives again, urging them not to "throw our manager into the circus," but his pleas fell flat. "They seemed content," Totti reflected. He grew increasingly troubled by what he witnessed in those meetings. "They spoke badly of everyone during discussions. Who knows what they said about me when I wasn't there. It wasn't a united board of directors," he concluded.

Radio commentators on Roman sports radio have hailed the approval of AS Roma's stadium project as a major turning point for the club. Carina told Radio Radio: "Yesterday was a watershed day. Now we will have to wait for the executive version of the project. After that the works will begin: and there is always a question mark there, because every time you dig you can find an artefact, a Roman villa, and so on. In any case it is a great victory for Roma. Now we wait and see how long it takes: the idea is to try to fit into the schedule of the Euros. Today Roma returns to training, there should also come a decision on Dybala and Molina. It seems strange to me that Messi is retiring: if the two wanted to leave, it does not seem to me that Gasperini would oppose it. Maybe they are not pushing that hard, but let's see what they decide." Pruzzo added: "We will be in line if we manage to be part of it. It seems to me that there are difficulties everywhere in Italy for stadiums. In any case it is a huge step forward: we will see how long it takes and whether the timescales become biblical or not." Orsi told Radio Radio: "Let's hope this city becomes a bit more European, instead of being strangled by bureaucracy. I hope the Roma stadium, with the green light, moves forward, and I hope the same for the Lazio stadium. With two stadiums of their own Rome would become better."

A roundup of Roma news and updates from 29 September 2026 includes praise from Como defender Jacobo Ramon ahead of the club's next match, early details of the centenary season's third kit, and Francesco Totti reflecting on his career with the club. Ramon has praised Roma ahead of the resumption of Serie A, calling the fixture between Como and Roma "a great match" and noting that "Roma is very strong and will fight for the Scudetto". He singled out the recent Roma–Inter encounter as exemplary of the team's quality, stating: "Roma–Inter was a magnificent match, that is the path." The design of Roma's third shirt for the 2027–28 season—the club's centenary campaign—has emerged with early reports suggesting a white base with dark green details, inspired by the Alba Audace, one of the three founding clubs. However, the kit will reportedly not use Alba Audace's original badge; instead it will carry the ASR acronym logo already in use on the current season's shirts. Totti has spoken at length about his relationship with Roma. "I was born, grew up and died with just one shirt. Roma became the story of my life," he said. On the retired number 10, he was emphatic: "You don't give it away just because you play well for five, six or seven matches. There is no such thing as a passing number 10." He recalled the 2006 World Cup victory, which he won while performing at "40–50 per cent" capacity, acknowledged that his peace with Spalletti remains incomplete, and reflected on his own talent: "The things I did, I have never seen anyone else do."

Radio commentators on Roman sports radio have hailed the approval of AS Roma's stadium project as a major turning point for the club. Carina told Radio Radio: "Yesterday was a watershed day. Now we will have to wait for the executive version of the project. After that the works will begin: and there is always a question mark there, because every time you dig you can find an artefact, a Roman villa, and so on. In any case it is a great victory for Roma. Now we wait and see how long it takes: the idea is to try to fit into the schedule of the Euros. Today Roma returns to training, there should also come a decision on Dybala and Molina. It seems strange to me that Messi is retiring: if the two wanted to leave, it does not seem to me that Gasperini would oppose it. Maybe they are not pushing that hard, but let's see what they decide." Pruzzo added: "We will be in line if we manage to be part of it. It seems to me that there are difficulties everywhere in Italy for stadiums. In any case it is a huge step forward: we will see how long it takes and whether the timescales become biblical or not." Orsi told Radio Radio: "Let's hope this city becomes a bit more European, instead of being strangled by bureaucracy. I hope the Roma stadium, with the green light, moves forward, and I hope the same for the Lazio stadium. With two stadiums of their own Rome would become better."

Roma's training camp at Trigoria resumes today following a rest period authorised by Gasperini. The squad will prepare for the Como fixture with most players available, though those on international duty will not yet return. Evan N'Dicka is the first to rejoin, with Sunday's return to Rome marking the start of a phased reintegration. Wesley, Bryan Cristante and Donyell Malen are improving and will resume group training in the coming days, clearing them for the 11 October away trip. A final decision on Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina's availability will be made today, following Argentina's fixtures.

Paulo Dybala has been a constant presence in Roma's opening matches of the 2026-27 season, playing in all six fixtures and largely in full, but is yet to find the net. His last goal came on 18 January when he formed a partnership with Donyell Malen at Torino. His drought at the Stadio Olimpico stretches even longer—his last home strike was on 23 October 2025, a penalty in the Europa League against Viktoria Plzen. In Serie A, Dybala has not scored since a 5-0 win over Parma nearly two years ago, when Claudio Ranieri was in charge. Despite the goal drought, Dybala has been central to Roma's attacking play. He has provided four assists in the opening matches and has formed what the analysis describes as one of Europe's top attacking partnerships with Malen. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has restored Dybala to the form of a genuine footballer after earlier struggles, and the focus now is restoring the Argentina international's confidence in front of goal. His creative output and overall influence have been significant enough to mark him as Roma's standout player, capable of shifting matches through his quality. Today, a decision was expected on whether Dybala and Nahuel Molina would travel for Argentina's final match with Messi, an invitation that reportedly met with resistance at Roma's Trigoria training ground from the outset.

Radio commentators on Roman sports radio have hailed the approval of AS Roma's stadium project as a major turning point for the club. Carina told Radio Radio: "Yesterday was a watershed day. Now we will have to wait for the executive version of the project. After that the works will begin: and there is always a question mark there, because every time you dig you can find an artefact, a Roman villa, and so on. In any case it is a great victory for Roma. Now we wait and see how long it takes: the idea is to try to fit into the schedule of the Euros. Today Roma returns to training, there should also come a decision on Dybala and Molina. It seems strange to me that Messi is retiring: if the two wanted to leave, it does not seem to me that Gasperini would oppose it. Maybe they are not pushing that hard, but let's see what they decide." Pruzzo added: "We will be in line if we manage to be part of it. It seems to me that there are difficulties everywhere in Italy for stadiums. In any case it is a huge step forward: we will see how long it takes and whether the timescales become biblical or not." Orsi told Radio Radio: "Let's hope this city becomes a bit more European, instead of being strangled by bureaucracy. I hope the Roma stadium, with the green light, moves forward, and I hope the same for the Lazio stadium. With two stadiums of their own Rome would become better."

Roma's training camp at Trigoria resumes today following a rest period authorised by Gasperini. The squad will prepare for the Como fixture with most players available, though those on international duty will not yet return. Evan N'Dicka is the first to rejoin, with Sunday's return to Rome marking the start of a phased reintegration. Wesley, Bryan Cristante and Donyell Malen are improving and will resume group training in the coming days, clearing them for the 11 October away trip. A final decision on Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina's availability will be made today, following Argentina's fixtures.

Rodrigo Mora, signed in the summer for €25 million with a further €25 million option to remove Porto's 50 per cent sell-on clause, is ready to establish himself as a regular starter in Gian Piero Gasperini's system. The Portuguese playmaker's season has been mixed: two starts in the opening three matches yielded a goal at Lecce, but he has since spent three consecutive games on the bench against Fenerbahce, Torino and Inter. Gasperini rates him highly as an exceptional talent but demands consistency and immediate responses. Mora's technical quality is evident in the numbers. He leads Roma's squad with an 80 per cent dribbling success rate, ahead of Donyell Malen at 67 per cent. His attributes fit perfectly into the 3-4-1-2 system, which suits Roma's approach against the four-man defences that dominate Serie A. The next opponent, Como managed by Cesc Fàbregas, will be a direct test of that setup. The crowded schedule ahead amplifies Mora's opportunity: between October and November, Roma will play nine matches in twenty-eight days against Como, Real Madrid, Napoli and Manchester United. With minimal margin for error in the title race and European competition, the young forward's moment has arrived. Mora is currently with Portugal Under-21, from whom he will return to Trigoria on 7 October after playing against Gibraltar and the Czech Republic. His absence from international travel across continents gives Roma easier fitness management than Matías Soulé faces. Lorenzo Pellegrini's five-month layoff and uncertain readiness to start also increase the likelihood of Mora appearing from the first minute alongside Malen and Paulo Dybala.