Roma’s internal clash: Dybala and Soulé confront captain

In a pre‑season friendly in Wales, Roma fell 4-1 to Cardiff City, a result that highlighted both on‑field shortcomings and a brewing dressing‑room dispute involving Paulo Dybala, Matías Soulé and the team captain. The loss came as the Italian side tried to cement its project ahead of the new campaign.

The friction surfaced immediately after the Welsh side’s fourth goal. Bryan Cristante called Matías Soulé’s reaction to a controversial play involving Santiago Castro to the referee’s attention, and the cameras captured Cristante pushing the former Juventus player twice, sparking unrest on the pitch.

Dybala rushed in to defend his compatriot, engaging in a physical and verbal exchange with the captain. The confrontation escalated within seconds, but teammates quickly stepped in to prevent the situation from worsening.

The Argentine trio formed the core of Roma’s attack. Santiago Castro, a recent signing from Bologna for a fee close to USD 40 million plus variables, debuted, playing 66 minutes before receiving a booking, as did Soulé a minute after the fourth Welsh goal.

Soulé, who arrived from Vélez Sarsfield, created a clear scoring chance in his first Italian appearance, underscoring the novelty of having three Argentines – Dybala, Soulé and Castro – leading the offensive line.

Gian Piero Gasperini deployed a trident of Dybala, Soulé and Castro, seeking tactical variety. The only Roma goal came from a swift combination between Soulé and Dybala, with Dybala finishing cleanly.

The incident highlighted internal pressure as the Loba had previously drawn 3‑3 with Cannes after squandering a three‑goal lead, exposing defensive frailties and a lack of cohesion.

Despite the defeat, Roma faces three more pre‑season fixtures – Newport County on 4 August, Brighton on 8 August and Borussia Dortmund on 15 August – before its Serie A debut on 24 August and a forthcoming Champions League campaign, intensifying the need to resolve the highlighted tensions in Italia.