Roma

Roma is a football (soccer) club from Italy.

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Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is an Italy professional Association football club from Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated at the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence bar one season in the early 1950s (in 1951-52). For their 57th season in a row, Roma are competing in Serie A for Serie A 2008-09.

Roma have won Serie A three times, first in Serie A 1941-42 then again in Serie A 1982-83 and Serie A 2000-01. As well as winning nine Coppa Italia trophies; on the UEFA Roma won an Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1960-61, but have had come close to success finishing as runners-up in the UEFA Champions League in European Cup 1983-84 and the UEFA Cup in UEFA Cup 1990-91.

Home games are played at the Stadio Olimpico, a stadium they share with city rivals S.S. Lazio. With a capacity of over 72,700 it is the second largest of its kind in Italy, with only the San Siro able to seat more.

History

Associazione Sportiva Roma was founded in the summer of 1927 by Italo Foschi, The only major Roman club to resist the merger was S.S. Lazio who were already a well established sporting society.

Roma played its earliest seasons at the Motovelodromo Appio stadium, before settling in the working-class streets of Testaccio, where it built an all-wooden ground Campo Testaccio; this was opened in November 1929.

First title victory and decline

After a slump in league form and the departure of high key players, Roma eventually rebuilt their squad adding goalscorers such as the Argentine Enrique Guaita. Under the management of Luigi Barbesino, the Roman club came close to their first title in Serie A 1935-36; finishing just one point behind champions Bologna F.C. 1909.
Roma returned to form after being inconsistent for much of the late 1930s; Roma recorded an unexpected title triumph in the Serie A 1941-42 season by winning their first ever scudetto title. The eighteen goals scored by local player Amedeo Amadei were essential to the Alfréd Schaffer coached Roma side winning the title. At the time Italy was involved in World War II and Roma were playing at the Stadio Nazionale PNF.

In the years just after the war, Roma were unable to recapture their league stature from the early 1940s. around a decade after their championship victory. Under future Italy national football team manager Giuseppe Viani, promotion straight back up was achieved. A few years later Roma won their first Coppa Italia trophy in 1963–64, by beating Torino F.C. 1–0. Their second Coppa Italia trophy was won in 1968–69 when it was competed in a small league like system.

Time of mixed fortunes

Roma were able to add another cup to their collection in 1972, with a 3–1 victory over Blackpool F.C. in the Anglo-Italian Cup. During much of the 1970s Roma's appearance in the top half of Serie A was sporadic. The best place Roma were able to achieve during the decade was third in Serie A 1974-75. Former A.C. Milan player Nils Liedholm was the manager at the time, with prominent players such as Bruno Conti, Agostino Di Bartolomei, Roberto Pruzzo and Falcão. The Serie A 1983-84 Roma finished as runners-up in Italy Roma's successful run in the 1980s would finish with a runners-up spot in Serie A 1985-86 the same season Roma won its Coppa Italia 1990-91 Coppa Italia trophyFile:Coppa Italia 2008 premiazione.jpg, current captain, with the Coppa Italia 2007-08
Roma attempted to defend the title in the Serie A 2001-02 but ended as runners-up to Juventus F.C. by just one point.

A 2006 Serie A scandal was revealed during 2006 and Roma were one of the teams not involved; after punishments were handed out, Roma was re-classified as runners-up for Serie A 2005-06; the same season in which they finished second in the Coppa Italia losing to F.C. Internazionale Milano. Meanwhile in the UEFA Champions League during both of these seasons, they reached the quarter-finals before going out to Manchester United F.C. after being thrashed 3-8 on aggregate. Despite the sloppy start in UEFA Champions League 2008–09, Roma managed to reach the knockout stage ahead of Chelsea F.C. in their group, thus finishing for the first time in their history as winners of the group stage. However, the Giallorossi would lose to Arsenal F.C. in the knockout stage on penalty kicks, ending their Champions League campaign. On July 29 2009, however, it was revealed that a deal had been struck between the Roma club and Arsenal FC for Roma's vice-captain, Daniele de Rossi. Wenger had offered 14 million pounds and Emmanuel Eboue for the reknowned stopper, but, unsurprisingly, riots broke out in the Olimpic Stadium; fans protested the signing of Eboue and labelled him as the "worst player in the world" and some even related him to Massimo Comparelli, who was voted the worst player of the millenium. Luciano Spalletti was then forced to revoke the offer and accepted a bid og 28 million pounds, which could rise to 32 million pounds, depending on appearances, by Wenger. This has yet to be officially announced on both clubs' websites, but sources already show that Daniele would grab Kolo Toure's no. 5 jersey, after leaving for Manchester City, who really cannot stop buying at the moment.

Presidential history

Roma have had numerous presidents over the course of their history, some of which have been the owners of the club, others have been honorary presidents. Franco Sensi was the chairman until his death in 2008, with his daughter Rosella Sensi in place as honorary president.

, Football (soccer) positions Centre Back, 1990–2003

Notable players

Club statistics and records

Francesco Totti holds Roma's official appearance record, having made 496 (as of March 2008) appearances in all competitions, over the course of 15 seasons from 1992 until the present day.

Including all competitions, Francesco Totti is the all-time leading goalscorer for Roma, with 188 goals since joining the club, 151 of which were scored in Serie A (another Roma record). The biggest ever victory recorded by Roma was 9–0 against U.S. Cremonese during the Serie A season of Serie A 1929-30.

Colours, badge and nicknames

Roma's colours of maroon (colour) with a gold (colour) trim represents the traditional colours of the Eternal City, the official seal of the comuni features the same colours. The gold symbolizes God in Roman Catholicism, while the maroon represents Roman Empire dignity. White shorts and black socks are usually worn with the maroon red shirt, however in particularly high key games the shorts and socks are the same colour as the home shirt.

The kit itself was originally worn by Roman F.C.; one of the three clubs who merged to form the current incarnation in 1927. Because of the colours they wear, Roma are often nicknamed i giallorossi meaning the yellow-reds. Roma's away kit is traditionally white, with a third kit changing colour from time to time.

Maybe because of modern sport marketing, the last few years have seen the golden trim and details substituted by light orange. Modern alternate kits have included all orange and orange-maroon versions.

A popular nickname for Roma is i lupi (the wolves), the animal has always featured on Roma's badge in different forms throughout their history. Currently the emblem of Roma is the one which was used when Roma was first founded. It portrays the female wolf with the two infant brothers Romulus and Remus, illustrating the Founding of Rome,

In the myth from which Roma take their nickname and logo, the twins (sons of Mars (god) and Rhea Silvia) are thrown into the River Tiber by their uncle Amulius, a she-wolf saved the twins and looked after them.

Shirt sponsors and manufacturers

{, FC Internazionale Milano, AC Milan and S.S.C. Napoli with around 6% of Italian football fans supporting Roma (according to the Doxa Institute-L'Expresso’s research of April 2006). Historically the largest section of Roma supporters in the city of Rome have come from the Inner city and south parts, which is the working-class area of the city, especially Testaccio.

The traditional ultras group of Roma was Commando Ultrà Curva Sud by local singer Antonello Venditti. The title roughly means "Roma is not to be questioned, it is to be loved" and is sung before each match, the song Grazie Roma, by the same singer, is played at the end of victorious home games. Recently, the main riff of The White Stripes song Seven Nation Army has also become widely popular at games.

In Italian football Roma are a club with many rivalries; first and foremost is their rivalry with S.S. Lazio, Roma who they share the Stadio Olimpico stadium with. The Local derby between the two is called the Derby della Capitale, it is amongst the most heated and emotional Major football rivalries in the world. The fixture has seen some occasional instances of violence in the past including the death of S.S. Lazio fan, Vincenzo Paparelli in Serie A 1979-80 as a result of an Flare gun fired from the Curva Sud, and the abandonment of a game in Serie A 2003-04, following unfounded rumours of a fatality which led to violence outside the stadium.

With S.S.C. Napoli, Roma also compete in the Derby del Sole rivalry meaning the "Derby of the Sun"; the two cities are within close proximity to each other and the two clubs are the most successful in Central Italy and Southern Italy. The fans also consider Juventus F.C., A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano amongst their rivals.

Conflict with English fans

There have been a number of instances of conflict in recent years between some Roma supporters and fans of English clubs, pointing to an apparent dislike for English fans in some Giallorossi supporters. One reason forwarded for this is the 1984 defeat to Liverpool in the European Cup Final at the Stadio Olimpico, Since then, there have been further instances of some English supporters being attacked and stabbed in Rome, including incidents in 2001 when Liverpool visited Roma twice and subsequent clashes with Middlesbrough fans in 2006 and Manchester United fans in 2007. In March 2009, a coach carrying Arsenal supporters was attacked by a group of Roma "Ultras" just outside the Stadio Olimpico. The coach's windows were smashed and at least one person entered the vehicle, letting off a flare and "allegedly" stabbing a supporter in the knee. Arsenal had posted advice to their fans on how to avoid routes taken by Roma Ultras.

Honours

National titles

- Runners-up (11): Serie A 1930-31 Serie A 1935-36 Serie A 1954-55 Serie A 1980-81 Serie A 1983-84 Serie A 1985-86 Serie A 2001-02 Serie A 2003-04 Serie A 2005-06 Serie A 2006-07 Serie A 2007-08

European titles

Youth titles

Associazione Sportiva Roma as a company

Since 1999, during Franco Sensi's period in charge, Associazione Sportiva Roma has been a joint stock company. Currently Roma's shares are distributed between; 67.1% to Compagnia Italpetroli SpA (the Sensi family holding), 2.7% to Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA, 2.5% to Danilo Coppola and 27.7% to other shareholders.

Along with S.S. Lazio and Juventus F.C., i Lupi is one of only three Italian clubs quotated in Borsa Italiana (Italian stock exchange). According to Deloitte Football Money League published by consultants Deloitte, in the season 2005–06, Roma was the twelfth highest earning football club in the world with an Deloitte Football Money League Full listing of €127 million.

In April 2008, after months of speculation, George Soros was confirmed by Rosella Sensi, CEO of Italy Serie A association football club A.S. Roma, to be bidding for a takeover. The takeover bid was successively rejected by the Sensi family, who instead preferred to maintain Roma's ownership. On August 17, 2008 club chairman and owner Franco Sensi died after a long illness; his place at the chairmanship of Roma was successively taken by his daughter Rosella.

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