Roma’s victory over Genoa offered more than three points: it showed the direction Gian Piero Gasperini’s side is taking. With seven players born after 2003 in the starting line-up and debutant Di Nunzio adding to a matchday average age of 24 years and 362 days, the Giallorossi are building a team for the present while opening a route for the club’s next generation.
Key takeaways
- Roma and Como have used more Under-23 players than any other leading Serie A club this season.
- Emanuele Lulli, born in August 2007, scored his first Serie A goal against Genoa.
- Santiago Castro opened his Roma account after arriving for €30 million in the summer.
- The club’s young core includes Portuguese teenager Cardoso Varela, Argentina international Matías Soulé and Brazil full-back Wesley.
- Antonio Arena, 17, has already scored in the Coppa Italia, while Di Nunzio made his senior debut against Genoa.
A young Roma taking responsibility
The most striking image from the Genoa match came after Lulli’s goal. Gasperini went to embrace the 18-year-old wide player, whose rise has been unusually swift. Five months ago, the boy from Palestrina was still playing Primavera football and watching Roma’s first team from afar. He is now becoming an increasingly important figure in the senior squad.
Lulli’s route has not been straightforward. Roma released him at the age of 12 and he returned to Tor Tre Teste. There, he played alongside the son of Roma’s head scout, Albergati, who raised the question of why the youngster had been allowed to leave. Bruno Conti watched him himself and helped bring him back into the club.
Last season, Lulli was used only intermittently by Primavera coach Federico Guidi, a situation that surprised Gasperini. In physical and athletic testing, including during the summer preparation, he was consistently among the brightest performers. His first league goal has now made him the clearest symbol of a Roma side willing to trust its youngest players.
As a local player, Lulli carries a particular emotional weight. Roma’s history includes homegrown leaders such as Giuseppe Giannini, Francesco Totti, Daniele De Rossi, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Agostino Di Bartolomei. It is far too early to place such expectations on him, but the club’s belief in his progress is evident.
The same confidence extends beyond the academy. Castro, 22 and already in the Argentina national-team picture, scored his first goal for Roma with a delicate chipped finish against Genoa. Recommended to the club by Totti, the Argentine arrived for €30 million and is viewed by Gasperini’s staff as much more than cover for Malen. He has been a leading player in the championship for three seasons and is considered capable of becoming a major figure at Roma.
Cardoso Varela is younger still. At 19, the Portuguese player already holds the distinction of being Porto’s youngest-ever debutant, having appeared at 15 years and 255 days, and their youngest scorer. Roma paid €25 million for him and could spend a further €25 million to secure him outright. Gasperini has described him as one of the outstanding young talents in world football, and his involvement is expected to grow over the coming weeks.
Investment, experience and the next wave
Not every member of Roma’s emerging core is a newcomer to senior football. Niccolò Pisilli, 22, has already made 86 appearances for the club he supports. The midfielder from Casal Palocco is a regular with Baldini’s Italy Under-21 side and has also made his debut for the senior national team. First introduced by José Mourinho, then developed by De Rossi and Claudio Ranieri, he is continuing his education under Gasperini. His family connection to Bruno Conti, his father-in-law, further strengthens the sense of continuity around the club.
Soulé, also 23, has become one of Gasperini’s regular reference points after a summer in which his future had appeared uncertain. Developed at Juventus before breaking through at Frosinone, the Argentine was among Roma’s strongest performers against Real Madrid and has since received his first Argentina call-up. His next task is to turn that influence into even greater consistency across the campaign.
Wesley represents another strand of Roma’s long-term work. Four years ago, the Brazilian was working in the car park of his mother’s restaurant. He is now part of Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil set-up and an established Roma starter after the club paid €25 million to sign him on Gasperini’s recommendation. Interest from across Europe reflects how quickly he has developed, although Roma believe there is still room for him to improve.
Daniele Ghilardi, born in 2003, is another player in the Italy national-team orbit. The defender, developed at Verona and signed permanently last summer, has played less than some of his competitors but has generally responded well when selected. With Roma’s fixture list set to become more demanding, he will hope for a larger role.
Konstantinos Koulierakis made his first Serie A start against Genoa after arriving from Wolfsburg. The defender from Crete, who is yet to turn 23, cost Roma €16.5 million and is part of a Greece side rich in young talent. His introduction adds another developing option to the defensive department.
The pathway does not end there. Antonio Arena, 17, has already marked his first-team involvement with a Coppa Italia goal against Torino. Born in Australia, he has chosen to represent Italy. Di Nunzio, a Roma supporter and one of Totti’s favoured youngsters, stepped off the Primavera stage for his debut against Genoa.
Three further academy players were on the bench for that match. Paratici, son of Fiorentina director Fabio Paratici, returned to Roma this year and had already caught Gasperini’s attention with a hat-trick in a summer friendly a year earlier. Attacking wide player Camara and third-choice goalkeeper De Marzi are also pushing for opportunities.
For the Friedkin ownership, which is pursuing the creation of a second team, these developments provide a practical argument for a clearer bridge between youth football and the senior side. Gasperini’s Roma are not simply lowering the age profile for its own sake. The intention is to give gifted players a meaningful place in a season that still demands results every Sunday.
