Roma rediscovered continental glory yesterday and after a 61-year drought lifted the first Conference League, a newly minted competition, after beating Feyenoord in the final held in Tirana. Led by the Portuguese José Mourinho, a great specialist in finals, the Italian team won a title after the immemorial Fairs Cup won in 1960 and ended with a bad fate in finals that had made them lose the 1984 European Cup against Liverpool and the 1991 Uefa Cup against Inter. A goal from Zaniolo (min. 32) and a good dose of heroism from their goalkeeper Rui Patricio, were key to defeating some brave but ineffective Dutch.
History will remember José Mourinho, who seemed in the decrepitude of his career when he arrived at Roma, as the first coach to win all three European competitions. The special one in finals adds with this his fifth continental trophy after his two Champions (Oporto 2004 and Inter 2010) and his two Europa League (Oporto 2003 and Manchester United 2017). The coach vindicates himself with a victory that once again marks him out as a winning coach.
The final in Tirana (Albania) had more emotion than football, as usually happens in those in which José Mourinho participates. The Dutch jumped in with the intention of putting rhythm into the match, but Roma were the ones who commanded in the first section from Pellegrini and Cristante. The areas were slow to appear, partly because of the trade of both teams, but also because of their lack of capacity. Mancini lit up the final with a measured pass that beat center back Traune and that Zaniolo took advantage of to make the first just after half an hour. From the goal the Italians took a step back that with the minutes would become more acute.
Arne Slot's team barely managed to generate any danger in the first half, but as soon as the second began they unleashed all their offensive potential on the goal of an extremely inspired Rui Patricio. First it was Cyriel Desser, the competition's top scorer with 10 goals, who proved it with a cross shot to which the Portuguese goalkeeper responded. Shortly after came a long shot from Malacia that Rui Patricio sent to the crossbar with a prodigious hand.
Roma decided to defend the result and play at the mercy of their rival for the entire second half, waiting for a counterattack that would sentence the final. But the best chances would be from Feyenoord. Dessers, the best of the match, was close to equalizing in a one-on-one that Ibáñez solved in time. Sinistierra and Kokcu also tried it with long shots. But the glory was once again reserved for José Mourinho and his Roma. Both take advantage of the Conference to return to the international scene.
1.- Rome: Rui Patrick; Mancini, Smalling, Ibanez; Karsdorp (Wine, m. 89), Christian, Mkhitaryan (Oliveira, m.16), Pellegrini, Zalewski (Spinazzola, m. 66); Zaniolo (Veretout, m.66) and Abraham (Shomurodov, m.89)
0.- Feyenoord: Bijlow; Geertruida, Trauner (Peersen, m. 73), Senesi, Malacia (Jahanbakhsh); Aursnes, Til (Toornstra, m. 60), Kökçü (Walemark, m. 88); Nelson (Linssen, m. 73), Sinisterra, Dessers.
Goals: Zaniolo (m. 31)
Referee: Istvan Kovacs (Romania). He admonished Pellegrini (m. 36), Zalewski (m. 67) and Rui Patricio (m. 84) for Roma; and Trauner (m. 25) by Feyenoord.
Incidents: Match corresponding to the first Conference League final in history, held at the Arena Kombetare in Tirana (Albania) before nearly 22,000 spectators.
