ROME — In September, Tammy Abraham stood on the Stadio Olimpico pitch, fists pumping the air as he joined the Roma support in their pre-match ritual of belting out the club anthem.
The fleeting moment was caught on camera and soon went viral. It now has more than quarter of a million views on Roma’s Facebook page, and hundreds of adoring messages.
Abraham couldn’t have got off to a better start in winning over the Giallorossi support, and eight months later, he is one game away from history after a record-smashing debut season.
The England striker has 27 goals for Roma in all competitions, and the nine he bagged in the inaugural Europa Conference League have put the Italians on the brink of ending a 14-year trophy drought.
But the admiration goes beyond the goals. Abraham has embraced his new club and city with enthusiasm; be it learning the anthem, admiring the Colosseum or studying the language – something he’s poked fun at compatriot Chris Smalling for failing to do.
“It’s been three years now, he still doesn’t speak Italian,” Abraham laughed.
The former Chelsea man’s numbers are mightily impressive. Abraham’s total goal haul is a Roma record for a debut season – bettering the likes of Gabriel Batistuta and Vincenzo Montella – while only Rodolfo Volk in 1929-30 produced more than Abraham’s 17 goals in a maiden Serie A campaign.
Now the 24-year-old has the chance to top it off with a win over Feyenoord. Make no mistake, this final means a lot to Roma. Many noses have been turned up at the Conference League, but not in the Italian capital.
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A certain Jose Mourinho was responsible for that last feat – not that he seems to remember.
“This is the most important final of my career,” the Roma coach said. “I’ve already played the others; this one still needs to be played and I want to win it”.
The 22,500 capacity of the National Arena in the Albanian capital has restricted the number of travelling fans, but Roma have already sold 45,000 tickets for a viewing party at the Olimpico.
“It could be the Champions League, World Cup or Conference League, a final’s a final and I want to win. All of Rome wants to win,” Abraham said.
Mourinho’s influence has aided Abraham’s development this season, even if he’s had to deal with some tough love.
“I refuse to praise him,” Mourinho said after the striker’s goal clinched Roma’s semi-final win over Leicester. “He needs to work this hard in every game, not just when we are up against Lazio or fighting for a European final!”
Abraham appears to be happy with the approach, though.
“[Mourinho] knows when my mind is in the game and when I’m a little bit asleep. He really knows how to drive the team,” the striker said in April.
Although a sixth-place Serie A finish was an underwhelming outcome, Roma’s European run has electrified the support – as have Abraham’s goals.
The form of the Englishman has led to inevitable rumours of a Premier League return, and although Mourinho said recently he doesn’t think that’s what Abraham wants, he also said the striker “just needs to click his fingers if he wants to go back”.
But the former Chelsea man has made his feelings clear.
“I love this club…my heart is with Roma,” he said on Sunday.
He will be in the hearts of the Roma fans forever if he can lead them to glory in Tirana.
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