Jose Mourinho. A Uefa Europa Conference League winner. How many other managers can say that?
The answer is zero, of course, because only on Wednesday night did his Roma side beat Feyenoord in the inaugural final of a competition Uefa approved in 2018 and started three years later.
Unless you’re counting the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1961, this was Roma’s first major European trophy, while Mourinho himself has completed the set of what is possible on the continent – a perhaps unexpected Conference League to go with his two Champions Leagues and one Europe League.
It is a fresh chapter to write, and a 26th trophy to brag about, for the man who wants his “Special One” nickname to be a thing of the past, and with a focus on the future Mourinho hopes this victory will herald a new era of silverware for Roma as well.
The Europa Conference League itself, meanwhile, will take some years to shake off the derision it has initially been met with.
The name does it no favours, but is befitting of its third-tier status, while the silverware is 4kg lighter and 7.5cm smaller than the strikingly similar Europa League trophy that Eintracht Frankfurt lifted last week, just to let you know who’s superior.
Choosing a 21,690-capacity stadium for Wednesday’s final hardly helped matters either, as though Uefa had good intentions when awarding Albania their first-ever European final, its capital of Tirana was ultimately left brimming with supporters, predominantly ticketless, who had descended from both Rome and Rotterdam – 60 of whom were arrested.
Player ratings
Roma: Rui Patricio 8, Mancini 7, Smalling 8, Ibanez 6, Karsdorp 7, Cristante 6, Mkhitaryan 5, Pellegrini 6, Zalewski 6, Zaniolo 7, Abraham 6. Subs: Oliveira 6, Veretout 6, Spinazzola 6.
Feyenoord: Bijlow 6, Geertruida 6, Trauner 5, Senes 6, Malacia 6, Aursnes 5, Orkun Kokcu 6, Til 6, Nelson 6, Dessers 5, Sinisterra 5. Subs: Toornstra 6, Pedersen 6, Linssen 6.
The big dangling carrot is at least a place in the Europa League next season for the winners. Huzzah! But alas, this was somewhat futile given Feyenoord and Roma had already qualified for Europe’s second-tier competition by way of their domestic finishes.
Nevertheless, there was still a budget Europa League trophy to be won, and Wikipedia pages waiting to be updated. Roma defender Gianluca Mancini admitted his side were labelling it the “cup of jokes” at the start of the campaign, but after playing 14 games to get there he was calling the final the most important game of his career.
The sight of two storied clubs at least boosted the occasion, but while flares and flags made for a raucous atmosphere, the final started slowly despite the best efforts of the supporters watching on, with just the one shot off target from Feyenoord come the midway point of the first half.
By the 32nd minute, however, Roma were ahead. A lofted ball slightly glanced the head of defender Gernot Trauner, but Nicolò Zaniolo was able to adjust quickly, chest the ball down, and deftly lift it over the onrushing Justin Bijlow in Feyenoord’s goal.
Roma’s fans wildly celebrated, making the most of their first final outing for 31 years, but on the sidelines Mourinho urged his bench to calm down with an hour, at the least, still left on the clock.
After the break, Roma were firmly up against, with Feyenoord twice hitting the post. Rui PatrÃcio superbly denied Lutsharel Geertruida to keep his side in front, while Chris Smalling repeatedly kept the competition’s top scorer, Cyriel Dessers, at bay.
In the end, Zaniolo’s goal was enough. Roma were champions, and their celebrations told you they cared not a jot about the competition’s name, trophy, or infancy.
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