AS Roma

Lore & Background

AS Roma was founded in the spring of 1927 when Italo Foschi initiated the merger of three older Italian Football Championship clubs from the city of Rome: Roman FC, SS Alba-Audace and Fortitudo-Pro Roma SGS. Foschi was an important Roman representative of the ruling National Fascist Party. The purpose of the merger was to give the Italian capital a strong club to rival that of the more dominant Northern Italian clubs of the time. The only major Roman club to resist the merger was Lazio because of the intervention of the army General Vaccaro, a member of the club and executive of Italian Football Federation (FIGC). All three founding clubs were relegated, but the fascist-aligned FIGC bet over the capacity of the new team to give a stronger representation to the capital of Italy, and they were awarded a wild card for the Divisione Nazionale, the Serie A forerunner.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Stadio Olimpico hangs heavy, thick with the scent of burning flares and anticipation. It is not a local derby, yet the noise rivals any city clash. On the pitch, the black-and-blue stripes of Inter cut through the sea of claret and blue. A veteran striker, his legs weary from ninety minutes of war, finds himself one-on-one with the Roma goalkeeper. The crowd roars, a singular sound that vibrates through the concrete stands. He strikes the ball; it hits the net. The roar turns into a deafening chant of 'Forza Inter' that echoes across Rome, a reminder that on this night, the north has conquered the south.

Reader's Guide

Since 1953, Roma has played home matches at the Stadio Olimpico, a venue the club shares with city rivals Lazio. With a capacity of over 72,000, the stadium is the second-largest of its kind in Italy, with only the San Siro able to seat more. The club plans to move to a new stadium, though it is yet to start construction. Having a strong local rivalry, Roma and Lazio contest the Derby della Capitale. The club's home colours are carmine red and golden yellow, which gives Roma its nickname "I Giallorossi" ("The Yellow and Reds"). These colours have often been combined with white shorts. The club badge features a she-wolf, an allusion to the founding myth of Rome.

Did You Know?

• Sixteen players have won the FIFA World Cup while playing at Roma, including Attilio Ferraris, Bruno Conti, and Francesco Totti.
• Roma won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1960–61 and the inaugural UEFA Conference League in 2021–22.
• The club's only relegation to Serie B came at the end of the 1950–51 season, with promotion straight back up achieved the following season.

The Serie A Title Race

During the 2007–08 campaign, the competition for the league championship remained intense between the two Italian giants. Roberto Mancini's team secured their third consecutive Scudetto, though the margin of victory was significantly tighter than in previous years. The Nerrazzuri ultimately finished only three points above the Giallorossi in the final standings. The title was officially clinched during the very last matchday when Inter defeated Parma with a 2–0 scoreline. Zlatan Ibrahimović provided both goals for the winning side after entering the game at half-time, bringing his league goal tally to seventeen. This victory also marked a significant moment for their opponents in that fixture, as Parma suffered relegation to Serie B following eighteen consecutive seasons in the top flight. The narrow gap between Inter and Roma highlighted how competitive the season remained despite the eventual outcome favoring the defending champions.

Domestic Cup Encounters

Beyond the league table, the clubs met in significant domestic cup competitions throughout the year. The season commenced with a high-stakes encounter on August 19, 2007, for the Supercoppa Italiana. In this match, Inter faced Roma and were defeated following a penalty shootout decision. Later in the calendar year, the rivalry intensified during the Coppa Italia final held in late May 2008. On that occasion, Mancini's squad lost the final to their rivals from Rome. These defeats proved pivotal for the coaching staff, as the loss in the cup competition contributed directly to subsequent personnel changes within the club hierarchy. The inability to secure silverware in these knockout tournaments contrasted sharply with the league success achieved earlier in the season, creating a complex narrative regarding the team's overall domestic performance and stability under management.

Centenary Celebrations

A major historical milestone occurred during this specific campaign as the club approached its centenary celebration. The organization marked one hundred years of existence on March 9, 2008, commemorating a foundation that had been celebrated with a party at San Siro the previous day. This event was inclusive, featuring participation from both current supporters and former players who had contributed to the club's history over the decades. While the focus remained on this significant anniversary, it coincided with a season where the team navigated various competitive challenges. The centenary served as a backdrop to the sporting activities, adding cultural weight to the 2007–08 season which was technically the ninety-ninth year of existence and the ninety-second consecutive season in the top flight of Italian football prior to reaching the full century mark.

Managerial Departure

The conclusion of the campaign brought significant administrative changes regarding the head coach position. Roberto Mancini was dismissed by Moratti shortly after the Coppa Italia final loss occurred in late May 2008. Days following this defeat, the club officially announced that the manager had been sacked. A primary factor cited for this decision involved a statement made by the coach following a second-leg match against Liverpool in the Champions League last sixteen. That specific game resulted in the side's elimination from European competition. The combination of domestic cup failure and the manner of their exit from Europe led to the end of Mancini's tenure, marking a turbulent finish to a season that had otherwise secured the league title for the club amidst its centenary year celebrations.