Roma

AS Roma – Club History

Associazione Sportiva Roma was founded on 22 July 1927 through the merger of three Roman clubs: Roman FC, SS Alba-Audace, and FBC Fortitudo. The club adopted the Capitoline Wolf as its emblem — a reference to the ancient symbol of Rome — and the maroon and gold (giallorosso) colours that have come to define the club's identity. From the start, Roma was conceived as the representative team of Italy's capital city, and their fanbase has always been fiercely passionate about that identity. Roma's fierce crosstown rivalry with Lazio, known as the Derby della Capitale, is one of the most intense in world football.

Roma won their first Serie A title in 1941–42 under the guidance of coach Alfredo Foni. After World War II, the club went through a long period without league success, though it remained competitive and built a loyal following. The modern era of Roma's history is characterised by the ownership of the Sensi family and later American investors. Their greatest achievement came in 2000–01, when Francesco Totti led the club to their third Scudetto under coach Fabio Capello. Under recent American ownership, Roma have invested heavily in the squad and gained approval for a long-awaited new stadium project. Under José Mourinho, they became the first club to win the UEFA Conference League in 2022.

Serie A Era & Titles

Roma have won Serie A three times — in 1941–42, 1982–83, and 2000–01. While their title tally falls short of the northern giants, Roma have consistently been among the most competitive clubs in Italian football, regularly finishing in the top four and participating in European competition. They have won the Coppa Italia nine times and the Supercoppa Italiana twice. In European competition, Roma reached the European Cup final in 1984 but were defeated by Liverpool on penalties at their own Olympic Stadium — a heartbreaking moment in club history.

Full honours: Serie A – 3 titles; Coppa Italia – 9; Supercoppa Italiana – 2; UEFA Conference League – 1. Roma's Conference League win in 2022, beating Feyenoord 1–0 in Tirana, was the club's first European trophy and gave manager José Mourinho his fifth European title with a fifth different club — a record in European football history.

Stadium

AS Roma currently play their home matches at the Stadio Olimpico, which they share with city rivals Lazio. Located near the Tiber River in Rome, the Stadio Olimpico has a capacity of approximately 70,634, making it the second-largest stadium in Italy. Originally built in the 1930s and expanded for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, the stadium is not considered ideal for football due to its athletics track and resultant distance from the pitch. Roma have long been working on a new purpose-built football stadium — the Stadio della Roma — planned for the Pietralata area of the city. Average home attendances for Roma have ranged between 40,000 and 60,000 depending on the season.

Most Famous Players

Francesco Totti is the defining figure of AS Roma — a one-club man who spent 25 years as a professional entirely at Roma, making 786 appearances and scoring 307 goals. Totti is the club's all-time leading scorer and is revered as a living legend in the city of Rome. Other icons include Bruno Conti, the mercurial winger who starred in the 1982 World Cup-winning Italian side; Agostino Di Bartolomei, the captain of the 1983 Scudetto team; Roberto Pruzzo, a prolific striker of the 1980s; Daniele De Rossi, a commanding midfielder who spent 18 years at the club; and Gabriel Batistuta, the Argentine striker who scored 51 goals in three Serie A seasons. Paulo Dybala has been a fan favourite in recent years.

Key Milestones

1927 – Club founded through merger of three Roman clubs. 1942 – First Serie A title won. 1983 – Second Serie A title, with a golden generation including Falcão, Conti, and Pruzzo. 1984 – European Cup final lost on penalties at home to Liverpool — a defining moment of heartbreak. 2001 – Third Scudetto won under Fabio Capello with Totti and Batistuta. 2022 – UEFA Conference League won, beating Feyenoord in Tirana under José Mourinho — Roma's first European trophy. Roma are the club of Italy's capital and remain one of the most globally followed Italian football clubs.