Two finals in 371 days: Lorenzo Pellegrini is about to become the first Roma captain to have experienced two European finals, even consecutive. After Tirana there will be Budapest and the Conference will move on to the Europa League, again under the guidance of Jose Mourinho
SEVILLE-ROME, LIVE EVE
Who knows what he thought Lorenzo Pellegrini on May 25 a year ago. In Tirana, as Roman captain and Roma fan, he lifted the Conference League won in the final against Feyenoord to the sky. A “european privilege” which in the Giallorossi history had only been the turn of James Losi, in 1961 when he lifted the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup at the Olimpico after beating Birmingham. A joy only caressed by Agostino Di Bartolomei in 1984, but that night against Liverpool, in the last act of the European Cup, the protagonist was a South African goalkeeper named Grobber, with his crazy dance before each penalty kick. Not to mention the illusion experienced by Pepe Giannini, also a Roman, Roma fan and youth product, who in 1991 was forced to put up with Inter’s exultation of Trap in the second leg of the UEFA Cup. Once again at home, always at the Olimpico, another disappointment. What about Francesco Totti or Daniele De Rossi, real monuments of Romanist history. They, a European final, they have never disputed it. Lorenzo Pellegrini had not yet been born, not even on May 30, 1994, when, exactly 10 years after the defeat against Liverpool, the silent captain, Agostino Di Bartolomei, he chose to take his own life in his home in Castellabate.
Unedited emotions for a Roma captain
What will go through Lorenzo’s head in these hours? Certainly the awareness of being able to experience something new, never tried by a Roma captain in almost 100 years of history. Two European finals, even consecutive, in 371 days. From the Conference in Tirana to the Europa League in Budapest, from Feyenoord to Sevilla. With him, many, almost all, who already a year ago cheered at Kovacs’ final whistle. Including, of course, Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese coach not only brought Roma back to winning a trophy after 14 years (the last Italian cup with Spalletti in 2008), but he managed in less than two years to change, who knows if only temporarily, the mentality of a team, a fan base, an entire city.
Not an easy path
The road to Budapest bears witness to this. More than once Rome has been in the balance. It happened in the group stage, with two defeats in the first three days and a second place behind Betis grabbed only in the last evening, that of the Olimpico against Ludogorets. Then in the playoffs against Salzburg, the first opponent to drop from the Champions League, come back at home after the defeat in Austria. The Olimpico was also a valuable ally in the first leg against the Royal Society to then defend the double advantage in San Sebastiàn. It’s still, the defeat of Rotterdamoverturned with a 4-1 in extra time on another fantastic night in front of their fans. And to think that 10′ from the end, the draw by Igor Passion he seemed to have brought Roma back to terms with its history, often characterized by comebacks that are only savored. And finally at Bayer Leverkusensurpassed at the Olimpico thanks to a goal by another son of Rome, by another boy from the nursery, Edward Bove. The same one who was out of role in the final minutes of the Bayarena, on the right wing, looking after Adli as soon as he entered. Unspeakable suffering in the final minuteswhich led many to think of a bitter ending, of a goal that would inevitably have arrived in injury time and which would have caused the Giallorossi to collapse in extra time. This was not the case, not even in Germany. Rome in Budapest can write another page of historyin total contrast with what many Roman fans of different generations have lived up to today.
