Mind-blowing AS Roma since 1927 – the history of its formation in 1927 and golden ages to the contemporary successes under Mourinho. Learn about main strengths, weaknesses, iconic players and scandals that left their mark on the honor of the Eternal City.
Detailed History of AS Roma
Foundation (1927):
On 22 July 1927 in Rome, Italy, a compilation of three local clubs: Roman FC, SS Alba-Audace, and Fortitudo-Pro Roma SGS was formed and named AS Roma (Associazione Sportiva Roma) to form a strong team to compete with the Northern clubs, who had dominated Italy since then, as Juventus, Inter, and AC Milan.
Key Historical Periods
- Early Years (1927–1940s):
The Roma soon made its mark in Italian football and became the first Scudetto-winning club in Central-Southern Italy in 1941-42.
- Post-War & 1950s:
The club experienced financial instability and as a result the club experienced inconsistency in its performances and at times it would face threat of relegation. The first major trophy that Roma won after WWII was the Coppa Italia in 1964.
- Golden Era of the 1980s:
Roma had its best domestic spell under the coach Nils Liedholm:
1. Serie A Champions (1982–83)
2. Coppa Italia wins in 1980, 1981, 1984, 1986
3. European Cup Final in 1984 (lost on penalties to Liverpool).
- 1990s Resurgence:
Roma was able to stay competitive as other stars such as Giuseppe Giannini and Francesco Totti came into play despite the high level of competition. Totti would later on become the greatest icon of the club.
- Scudetto Glory (2000–01):
During the reign of Fabio Capello, who led Roma with stars such as Francesco Totti, Gabriel Batistuta, Cafu and Vincenzo Montella, Roma became the third champions of the Serie A.
- Modern Era (2000s–Present):
1. Several Coppa Italia victories (2007, 2008) and regular fourth-place finishes in the Serie A.
2. Played the UEFA Champions League Semi-Final in 2017-18, where it won 3-0 against Barcelona 4-1 in the first leg.
3. Under Jose Mourinho, the first ever European trophy in the club, UEFA Europa Conference League 2021-22 Champions.
Strengths
- Rich Heritage & Loyal Fan Base:
Roma also has one of the most ardent fan bases in Italy. Curva Sud (Stadio Olimpico) has a reputation of giving electric aura and strong emotional attachment.
- Youth Development:
The club has been able to create world talents like Francesco Totti, Daniele De Rossi, and Alessandro Florenzi, which have continued to have a strong academy culture.
- Old Rivalry (Derby della Capitale):
Games with Lazio attract the attention of the whole world, which strengthens the identity and brand of Roma.
- Tactical Adaptability:
Traditionally adaptable in their strategies, and managers such as Capello, Spalletti and Mourinho brought a variety of systems.
- European Presence:
Roma is a competitive European team despite financial limitations with recent achievements in the UEFA competitions.
Weaknesses
- Financial Instability:
Financial troubles have become a regular issue in Roma, which has to balance its books by selling off some of the most important players (e.g., Salah, Alisson, Pjanić).
- Inconsistent Performances:
Roma has had some good teams but it cannot always be consistent in Serie A and turn good seasons into Scudetti.
- Defensive Vulnerabilities:
Lapses in defence, particularly in vital games, have been historically part of them, and have taken away titles and European campaigns.
- Change in ownership and management:
The changes of managers and boardroom instabilities have not helped to build projects in the long-term.
- Too dependent on Star Players:
Historical reliance on players such as Totti or Dybala can destroy the balance in the team at times when the player gets injured or quits.
Key Controversies
- Ownership/ Financial Controversies.
- Sensi Family Era (1990s–2000s):
The finances of Roma had been volatile with the Sensi family. Italian football authorities started to investigate their accusations of creative accounting and financial mismanagement.
- UEFA Financial Fair Play (FFP):
Roma has been given several warnings and sanctions by UEFA over the violation of FFP rules, and the club has been forced to sell some of its important players such as Mohamed Salah and Alisson Becker to balance its books.
- Scudetto Allegations (1980s) Refereeing.
- In their 1980-81 and 1982-83 Scudetto campaigns, other clubs claimed that Roma was given favourable referee decisions, particularly when close calls were involved.
- The title race with Juventus of the year 1983 was especially a tense one, and the conspiracy theories involving political pressure were present, although nothing was officially established.
- 2004 “Messina Incident” and Player Violence.
- In 2004, in one of the matches against Messina, the players of Roma were accused of threats to the referee following controversy ruling.
- On-field violent behavior a few times suspended several times in his career, such as spitting at Christian Poulsen of Denmark in Euro 2004 when playing for Italy, was not a good reflection of the club.
- Chaos (vs Lazio) Derby della Capitale.
- The derby at Rome has been notoriously hot and has witnessed:
1. Riots, pitch invasions and fan violence.
2. The notorious child death hoax of 2004 when a made-up rumor about a child being killed by police outside of the stadium resulted in the match being called off leading to violent confrontations.
3. The racist chanting and fascist banners of Ultras, which caused several fines and the closure of stadiums.
- European Match Incidents
- Liverpool 2018 UCL Semi-Final:
A Roma ultra assault on Liverpool fan, Sean Cox, prior to the opening match at Anfield resulted in serious injuries which attracted international criticism. Roma fans were blamed to commit systematized hooliganism and violence.
- Fan Riots in Europe:
Roma ultras have already participated in various violent confrontations in Europe in London, Rotterdam and Madrid.
- Ownership Battles (2010s)
- There was a transition to American ownership (2011):
The internal conflict, the unfulfilled promises on the new stadium project, and the conflict with the Curva Sud ultras, who were against commercialization, reflected the takeover by Thomas DiBenedetto and later James Pallotta.
- Stadio della Roma Scandal (2017–2019)
- It was tied up in a political corruption scandal over the plan of Roma to build a new stadium.
o Some businessmen and politicians were arrested on bribery charges.
o The scandal postponed the project and damaged the reputation of the club even though Roma were not directly accused.
Conclusion
AS Roma is one of the oldest and the most enthusiastic clubs that represent the pride of Eternal City of Italy. Its advantage is that it has a rich culture, a strong following, and it can come up with iconic players, but the long-term success is usually hampered by financial limitations, inconsistencies in performance, and changes in managers. Having won the 2022 Conference League, and with Mourinho, Roma hopes to create a legacy that will be competitive with its golden history.
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