World Soccer - UK (2022-07)

F

romMourinhotoMourinho.
TheItalianfootballseason
endedona massivelypositive
noteas Romaliftedthe first
editionofUEFA’s newtournament,the
“third-tier”EuropaConference League,
bybeatingDutch clubFeyenoord 1-0
inTirana, Albania,inthefinal.
This,ofcourse,isthefirstItalianclub
victoryin Europesince Internazionale
triumphedinthe 2 01 0 Champions
League.Then,asnow,themanwho
mastermindedthisanxiouslyanticipated
triumphwastheSpecialOne himself,
59-year-oldPortuguesemaestro
JoseMourinho.
Watchingthe chaoticscenesof
post-matchcelebrationbothinTirana
andRome(50,000plusfanswatched
thegameongiantscreensatthe Stadio
Olimpico),youmighthaveimaginedthat
Italyhadjust wona fifthWorldCup.
Therealityisthatthishasbeena
topsy-turvy 1 2 monthsinItalianfootball.
LastyearItalycelebrateda memorable

Euro 2020 win,butwithinmonthsthe

sameteamhadfailedtoqualifyfor the

Qatar WorldCup,whiletheItalianclubs

allfaredmiserablyinthisseason’s

ChampionsandEuropaLeagues,

withAtalanta theonlyside to

reachthequarter-finalstage.

Insucha context,Roma’sEuropa

ConferenceLeaguewinwas greeted

withhugerelief. SportsdailyGazzetta

delloSportsummedupthemoodthe

nextday with onefront-pagebanner

headline,readingsimply, “GrazieRoma”.

ForRoma,thiswastheirfirstEuropean

victory sincethe 196 1 Inter-CitiesFairs

Italianfootball

Cupwhileit wastheirfirst wininany

competitionsincetheyliftedtheItalian

Cupin 2 008.

Theclub’s senseofreliefwasprobably

matchedbythatoftheirfamouscoach.

WhenhereturnedtoItalianfootballlast

summer,Mourinhohadbeengreeted

withopenarms.EvenifPremierLeague

criticsweresuggestingthathehadlong

sincepasthis sell-bydate,Romafans

wereundaunted.They greetedhim

withahugestreetmural, depicting

himona scooterinanimagetaken

fromthe 1953 AudreyHepburn-

Gregory Peckfilm,RomanHoliday.

MOURINHODELIVERS

FORROMAANDITALY

36 WORLDSOCCER

EUROPACONFERENCELEAGUEREVIEW

2022 EUROPACONFERENCELEAGUEFINAL

Mastermind...

Mourinholiftsthe

EuropaConference

Leaguetrophy

Winners...Roma

playerscelebrate