STOPPAGE-TIME MADNESS IN PARMA

 

PARMA 2-3 ROMA | SERIE A HIGHLIGHTS

 

ROMA OUTCAST PELLEGRINI COMES IN FROM COLD TO WIN DERBY LAZIO

Rome (AFP) – Lorenzo Pellegrini fired Roma to victory in the derby with Lazio on Sunday, the former captain coming in from the cold with the only goal in a 1-0 win at a boisterous Stadio Olimpico.

Lorenzo Pellegrini celebrates scoring Roma's derby-winning goal © Tiziana FABI / AFP

Roman-born Pellegrini lost the captaincy of his boyhood club and was placed on the transfer list over the summer, but he was decisive against Lazio in his first appearance of the season and put Roma fourth in Serie A on nine points.

Ahead of kick-off Fans unfurled a banner which read "welcome back, captain" for Pellegrini who also had to have surgery for an injury to his right thigh in May.

"I never doubted their affection for me and I have a lot of love for them too," said Pellegrini to DAZN.

"The one constant is that I love Roma, and as long as I'm here there will never be a day in which I won't give everything for the shirt.

"I don't know what will happen in the future because life is unpredictable... I was close to leaving and I had no idea in what condition I would be after my injury, but I come back in the derby and scored the winning goal."

Sunday's 38th-minute strike was Pellegrini's fourth in a Rome derby and repaid the faith shown in him by new coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who started the 29-year-old in one of Roma's biggest games of the season.

Gasperini seemed to have frozen out Pellegrini who has 36 caps for Italy but on Saturday hinted at a place in the derby, while making it clear the player was on borrowed time unless he "becomes an athlete and starts running".

And after the derby win he doubled down on Pellegrini needing to improve physically as Roma prepare to begin their Europa League campaign at Nice on Wednesday.

Lazio woes

Lazio are stuck on three points from their first four matches of the season but could have easily come away with a point from a typically tense derby, even after losing Reda Belahyane to a straight red card.

Matteo Guendouzi made matters worse for 13th-placed Lazio when he was sent off for a rant at officials after the final whistle.

The only serious efforts before Pellegrini's winner were from distance by Pedro and Mattia Zaccagni, the latter tipped over by Mile Svilar just before the half hour.

Lazio's Nicolo Rovella burst down the right and sent across a teasing low cross which dribbled in front of the Roma goal but was too far away from his onrushing teammates.

Pellegrini stroked home his first goal since January after Devyne Rensch robbed a dozing Nuno Tavares and Matias Soule perfectly fed the Italy international for a first-time finish.

Roma pressed high in the hope of forcing mistakes from Lazio but it was the nominal away team who left a huge gap through which Boulaye Dia charged in the 54th minute only to blast over when one-on-one with Svilar.

Dia's replacement Valentin Castellanos then whizzed a deflected effort just wide, before Danilo Cataldi came within millimetres of snatching a draw in stoppage time when his curling effort struck the outside of the post.

Roma held out and claimed bragging rights in the Eternal City, as well as moving to within a point of league leaders Juventus.

© 2025 AFP

JOSÉ MOURINHO'S MANAGERIAL JOURNEY

 

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE BRACKET

 

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE | KNOCKOUT PHASE PLAYOFF DRAW

 

MILAN 1-1 ROMA | HIGHLIGHTS

JUVENTUS ARE THE 'KINGS' OF ITALIAN FOOTBALL

 

$415M ROMELU LUKAKU

2011: Anderlecht ➡️ Chelsea—$17M

2013: Chelsea ➡️ Everton—$4M (loan)

2014: Chelsea ➡️ Everton—$40M

2017: Everton ➡️ Man Utd—$95M

2019: Man Utd ➡️ Inter—$83M

2021: Inter ➡️ Chelsea—$127M

2022: Chelsea ➡️ Inter—$9M (loan)

2023: Chelsea ➡️ Roma—$7M (loan)

2024: Chelsea ➡️ Napoli—$33M

$415M has been spent on Romelu Lukaku 💸

- BR Football

PAULO DYBALA COMMITS TO ROMA, REJECTS $83M SAUDI LEAGUE OFFER

Argentina star Paulo Dybala announced on Thursday that he would remain with AS Roma, ending weeks of speculation linking him with a lucrative move to Saudi Pro League club Al Qadsiah.

Multiple reports indicate that Dybala turned down an offer of €75 million ($83M) over three years.

"Thank you Rome...See you on Sunday," he said in an Instagram post.

Dybala's decision came amid a period of uncertainty about his future. He trained separately from the Roma first team on Thursday and was absent from the starting lineup in their opening Serie A match against Cagliari last Sunday.

Dybala is entering his last year of his contract with Roma but the deal has an automatic extension if he plays at least 15 official matches this season. He will earn €7.5 million plus €2 million in add-ons and bonuses.

Since joining Roma from Juventus in 2022, Dybala has established himself as a key figure in the team. In 78 appearances, he has scored 34 goals and provided 18 assists.

Roma fans had made their feelings clear last week, with protests outside the club's training ground urging the club not to transfer the star.

Dybala's commitment to Roma ignited a frenzy of joy among supporters, who gathered outside his home on Thursday night to celebrate the news.

Al Qadsiah, who made multiple attempts to secure Dybala's services since the beginning of the summer transfer window, is a newly promoted Saudi club with a star-studded roster including former Real Madrid defender Nacho Fernandez and ex Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Dybala's decision to stay was met with enthusiasm from his Roma and Argentina teammate Leandro Paredes. "For those who haven't understood it, he remains with us," he posted.

- ESPN News Services 

EUROPA LEAGUE BRACKET | SEMI-FINALS SECOND-LEG RESULTS

 

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE| QUARTER-FINALS

 

DE ROSSI KICKS OFF HIS ROMA STINT WITH A VICTORY

 

ROMA FIRE JOSE MOURINHO; DANIELE DE ROSSIIN AS INTERIM

José Mourinho has been sacked by AS Roma after joining the club in May 2021. Photo by Ivan Romano/Getty Images

José Mourinho has left Serie A side Roma with immediate effect, the team announced on Tuesday, hiring club legend Serie A as his interim replacement until the end of the season.

Mourinho's contract was up at the end of the season but, following their 3-1 defeat to AC Milan on Sunday and with the club in ninth in Serie A, the owners and the manager have parted ways.

It brings an end to Mourinho's spell at the club, which started in May 2021 and saw him win the Europa Conference League title in 2022 and reach the Europa League final last season.

"We would like to thank José on behalf of all of us at Roma for his passion and efforts since his arrival at the club," said owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin.

"We will always have great memories of his tenure at Roma, but we believe that an immediate change is in the best interests of the club. We wish Jose and his assistants all the best in their future endeavours."

SVEN-GORAN ERIKSSON: FORMER ENGLAND MANAGER SAYS HE HAS CANCER AND 'BEST CASE A YEAR' TO LIVE

Sven-Goran Eriksson says he has "best case a year" to live after being diagnosed with cancer.

The 75-year-old Swede was the first foreign coach to manage England and led the side to the quarter-finals of the 2002 and 2006 World Cup and 2004 Euros.

"I'm going to resist for as long as I can," Eriksson told Swedish Radio P1.

"I have an illness that's serious. Best case a year, I have worst case a lot less. It's impossible to say exactly, so it's better to not think about it."

Eriksson, who had a 42-year career in management, stood down from his most recent role as sporting director at Swedish club Karlstad 11 months ago because of health issues.

He said he was trying to stay positive and "make something good" from his cancer diagnosis.

JUVENTUS 1-0 ROMA | HIGHLIGHTS

 

ROMA BOSS JOSE MOURINHO AVOIDS BAN FOR CALLING REF UNSTABLE

Reuters 

Roma coach Jose Mourinho escaped a touchline ban after cooperating with the Italian football federation's disciplinary prosecutor and was instead only fined €20,000 ($22,000) on Friday for labelling a referee unstable.

Before a recent match with Sassuolo, Mourinho questioned the abilities of referee Matteo Marcenaro.

"We had him three times as a fourth official and I don't think he has the emotional stability for games of this level," Mourinho said.

MARTINEZ SCORES AGAIN AS LEADER INTER DRAWS 1-1 AT SECOND PLACE JUVENTUS IN DERBY D’ITALIA

AP Photo 

MILAN (AP) — Lautaro Martínez scored again but Inter Milan had to be content with a share of the spoils as the Serie A leader drew 1-1 at second-place Juventus on Sunday.

Martínez’s 13th league goal of the season canceled out Dušan Vlahović’s opener in the Derby d’Italia.

Inter remained two points above Juventus. Third-place AC Milan is six points behind its city rival, with defending champion Napoli two points further back in fourth. Both Milan and Napoli played on Saturday.

Inter faces another tough trip next weekend when it visits Napoli.

It was a matchup in Turin between two fierce rivals occupying the top two spots. Inter was looking to move five points clear while Juventus knew it could leapfrog into the lead.

Both sides had early chances in a match that was intense and entertaining from the start.

SLAVIA PRAGUE RECEIVED A $100,000 FINE FOR CROWD TROUBLE AT EUROPA ALEAGUE GAME AGAINST ROMA

PRAGUE (AP) — Slavia Prague was fined 91,625 euros ($100,000) by UEFA on Thursday for crowd trouble during its Europa League home game against Roma.

Slavia was fined 30,000 euros for fireworks lit by its supporters during the Nov. 9 game, which it won 2-0. UEFA also ordered that the club's North Stand used by Slavia’s diehard fans will be closed one game.

The overall fine also includes 34,000 euros for blocking passageways, 17,500 euros for illicit chants and 10,125 euros for throwing objects.

Additionally, Slavia assistant coach Zdeněk Houštecký was banned for one UEFA game for unsportsmanlike conduct. Houštecký received a red card at the halftime break for verbally attacking the referees.

Slavia and Roma are tied atop Group G with nine points from four games.

JOSE MOURINHO SUSPENDED FOR FIRST 10 DAYS OF 2023-24 SEASON

Reuters 

Jose Mourinho wore a microphone to "protect himself" when his AS Roma side faced Monza in May, but he could not resist a dig at the referee after the game and was handed a 10-day touchline ban on Wednesday.

Mourinho will miss his team's Serie A season opener due to the suspension and was also given a 50,000 euros ($54,610) fine for comments made towards referee Daniele Chiffi, the Italian FA said.