Mourinho record thanks to Zaniolo
José Mourinho has guided AS Roma to their first European Cup triumph in 51 years and became the first coach to win titles in the three current European football club competitions. In the premiere final of the newly created Conference League, Roma trembled to a 1-0 (1-0) win over Feyenoord Rotterdam in Tirana on Wednesday evening. In front of 21,690 spectators, Nicolò Zaniolo’s goal in the 32nd minute decided the final that only became exciting in the second half.
Star coach Mourinho maintained his flawless final record. After triumphing with FC Porto in the 2003 UEFA Cup and the 2004 Champions League, with Inter Milan in the premier class in 2010 and with Manchester United in the Europa League in 2017, he won his fifth European Cup final. The Portuguese had already shed a few tears after entering the final. The Roma’s longing for another European title has lasted since 1961, when they triumphed in the long-forgotten Fairs Cup.
Spurred on by thousands of fans, the Romans got more out of the game in Tirana in the first half. With typical Mourinho tactics, the sixth in Serie A relied on control from a secure defence. Because Feyenoord did little offensively, the first half was uneventful for a long time. Only the early end for the injured ex-Dortmunder Henrikh Mkhitaryan with the Romans moved the spirits. With the first successful offensive action, Roma then took the lead. Rotterdam’s Gernot Trauner underestimated Gianluca Mancini’s high pass, the lurking Zaniolo pushed in deliberately.
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Feyenoord came out of the dressing room as if transformed. First, a defensive attempt by Mancini after a Dutch corner landed on his own post, then Rome keeper Rui Patricio parried Guus Til’s follow-up shot (47′). Three minutes later, the goalkeeper deflected Tyrell Malacia’s powerful shot just over the bar. Mourinho’s team survived this phase only with effort and luck, and the Romans were rarely able to provide relief. But Feyenoord didn’t take advantage of his chances to equalize and ended up empty-handed.
The night before the final, riots broke out in Tirana between the police and groups of fans from both teams. As the AP news agency reported, 19 police officers and five other people were injured. A police officer was reportedly injured with a knife. There were also fights in the stadium before kick-off, and several Feyenoord fans had to leave the arena.
The capital of Albania expected 100,000 fans from both countries for the final – but both clubs were only entitled to 4,000 tickets each, the National Arena holds 20,000 people. “If the trend continues, we will have to think about bigger stadiums in the future,” said UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin. At the premiere of the competition, the head of the association said: “The inaugural season went beyond expectations.”
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