Cautiously Optimistic Since 2007
Roma roll into the Via del Mare today under a cloud of frustration and attrition. After a sloppy 1-0 loss to Atalanta where the Giallorossi controlled the ball but lacked punch in the final third, Gasperini’s men now face a Lecce side trying to scratch their way out of the relegation battle. While Roma’s recent […]
Gian Piero Gasperini didn’t make his usual pre-match comments ahead of Roma’s trip to Puglia to face Lecce on Tuesday. As a result, we didn’t get any insight into the Roma CT’s thoughts on his lineup for the match. However, we do know that the Giallorossi will be shorthanded, especially in defense. For this one, […]
Roma travel south to Lecce tomorrow, with the sting of their last match still hurting Romanisti worldwide. The club’s weekend 1–0 loss to Atalanta, decided by an early Giorgio Scalvini header from a set piece and followed by nearly 80 minutes of Roma possession that rarely turned into danger, was not just three points dropped […]
With Juventus versus Lecce ending in a surprising 1-1 draw and both Inter Milan and Napoli facing challenging fixtures, Roma had a perfect chance to close the gap on the top three while keeping the teams below them at a safe distance. However, there was a catch: they faced one of those competing teams—Gasperini’s former […]
Aside from being able to sleep later and finding convenient excuses to eat sugar for two weeks, one of the ancillary benefits of the extended holiday season was that it afforded me more time to write the Sinners & Saints pieces. Rather than cranking them out immediately after the match, I had the luxury of […]
A frigid night made for a frosty reunion as Gian Piero Gasperini led Roma back to his old stomping grounds, albeit with a new corporate sponsor. A week after ruining Daniele De Rossi’s return to Stadio Olimpico with a rousing 3-0 win over Genoa, Gasperini and Roma failed to match wits with Raffaele Palladino’s Atalanta […]
Since 2025 ended with a reunion, Daniele De Rossi’s return to Roma as manager of Genoa, it’s fitting that we’re beginning 2026 the same way. Gian Piero Gasperini’s nine-year run with Atalanta was nothing short of miraculous; it’s not often that you see a football manager with a singular vision being afforded the runway to […]
“[Lorenzo] Pellegrini and [Leon] Bailey have got the flu, although they were injured anyway. [Niccolo] Pisilli should recover, hopefully. [Mario] Hermoso has recovered and we need to look at Wesley, who has a few niggles. There’s quite a bit going on and we’ll need to make some decisions but I’m sure we’ll try to get […]
There’s a rare mix of emotion and ambition as Roma travel to Gewiss Stadium this weekend to face Atalanta. Although the Bergamo side have long been a thorn in Roma’s side, the Giallorossi’s hiring of their most legendary manager means that this match gains even more importance than the typical top-four implications. After all, Gian […]
While the roots of our website go back almost 20 years, 2026 will mark our 15th year as the Chiesa di Totti. Since the New Year is a time for reflection, I’d be remiss not to take a moment to thank everyone for their continued support. We’ve been through many changes since 2012, but one […]
While Daniele De Rossi’s recent return to the Stadio Olimpico sparked memories of his legendary playing career—the thunderous goals, bone-jarring tackles, and primeval celebrations—recency bias forced many of us to remember this ignominious exit as Roma’s manager in the fall of 2024. Beginning that season with three points from four matches wasn’t ideal. Still, things […]
A week after a frustrating road loss to Juventus, Roma bounced back with a resounding 3-1 victory over Genoa. By avoiding the distraction of Daniele De Rossi’s emotional return to the Stadio Olimpico (as an opponent, which will never feel normal) and putting the Grifoni on the back foot immediately, Gian Piero Gasperini’s group closed […]
While there were plenty of touching tributes from fans in the stands, Daniele De Rossi’s first visit to the Stadio Olimpico as an opponent was anything but hospitable. Before our beloved DDR had a chance to digest his awkward return to a place he called home for nearly 20 seasons, Roma put Genoa in their […]
A week after falling to Juventus in a critical top-four clash, Roma finds itself in a familiar position: trailing the Old Lady in the standings. While the gap between the two clubs isn’t as wide as it was a decade ago, another loss to Juventus has further tightened Roma’s already thin margin for error as […]
“Dovbyk is not ready yet, so he won’t be called up; hopefully he will be back the following week. He’s training, he’s getting ready, but he can’t kick the ball yet. Apart from that, our week had some breaks in between because of Christmas, but we were still able to work, even though there’s a […]
The Giallorossi are not flying as high as they did at the start of the season, but as 2025 draws to a close, there is plenty to be grateful for—and plenty to be optimistic about heading into 2026. Roma’s defense remains among the best in Europe, and although the offense is not clicking, you can […]
One goal in four head-to-head matches against Inter, AC Milan, Juve, and Napoli perfectly illustrates the struggles of Roma’s attack this season, especially against teams Roma will have to battle for a top-4 finish at season’s end. Roma’s attack has been an utter disappointment, yet the Giallorossi remain fourth in the table through 16 match […]
Now that the first wave of the winter holidays has passed, we’ll ease back into the swing of things with a slightly delayed calcio quiz. Our normal Tuesday Trivia got subsumed by meal prepping, last-minute shopping, gift wrapping, arguing with the Amazon AI Customer Service Rep about missing packages, and convincing ourselves it was okay […]
The holiday season is in full swing, and while Serie A may be pausing for a few days, the transfer rumor mill is raging on unabated. Although a few new names have been added to the mix, the Italian press continues to focus on Roma’s pursuit of Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee and Atletico Madrid […]
After taking a brief hiatus, the podcast is back with a new episode. Unfortunately, our return coincides with reflecting on yet another disappointing defeat at the hands of one of our top 4 rivals. In this episode, we delve into the details of the loss against Juventus, analyze what went wrong, and explore various related […]
We’ll take a break from the allegedly ongoing transfer negotiations for Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee and Atletico Madrid midfielder Giacomo Raspadori to focus on a new name in the Roma rumor mill: Napoli striker Lorenzo Lucca. Lucca, a towering 6’7” striker from the Torino area, joined Napoli this past summer in a €30 million […]
If yesterday’s match had been against any other club, we could say the result was disappointing. However, given the historic imbalance between Roma and Juventus, a 2-1 loss to the Old Lady on the road was hardly surprising—some might even say it was expected. While we still believe Gian Piero Gasperini has Roma heading in […]
While Roma remains on a mostly upward trajectory under the guidance of Gian Piero Gasperini, today’s test against Juventus at the Allianz Stadium in Torino reinforced the adage that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Roma have been fortunate to avoid recent setbacks against the Old Lady of Italian Football. Still, […]
I got jumbled up in doing some last-minute holiday errands, so you’ll have to excuse the lack of a pre-match preamble. Needless to say, this is a massive match that Roma must win to maintain their spot in the top four, not to mention passing a critical benchmark to be considered legitimate contenders near the […]
“He’s [Dovbyk] not fully recovered. Even though he’s been training for a few days, he is still having some difficulty kicking. Other than that, we’re all here apart from the two who have left. [Mario] Hermoso has a little issue that we’re hoping to resolve.” “We’re assessing Dybala today. We’ll try him out, test him […]