AS ROMA        
While Juventus FC, Internazionale FC and Milan AC may have grabbed more headlines in Europe, AS Roma were, in many respects, Italy's European pioneers. In 1961, they won the Fairs Cup (the forerunner of the UEFA Cup), but have yet to win a UEFA competition despite several near misses. Four become one The club was founded in 1927 as an amalgamation of four city clubs, Alba, Fortitudo, Roman and Pro Roma. In 1929/30, they took part in the first-ever first division championship, in which they finished sixth. After finishing runners-up in 1931 and 1936, they won their first league title in 1941/42. The star of the team, coached by Alfred Schaffer, was striker Amadeo Amadei, who went on to score 100 goals for the club. They failed to build on that breakthrough, however, and only finished ninth the following season - the last before the Second World War, during which the national championship was suspended. Roma returned to Serie A in 1945/46 and finished 15th in the league. That presaged a period of struggle and the club was eventually relegated in 1950/51 after finishing 19th in Serie A. However, they returned triumphantly the following season after winning the Serie B title, and in the subsequent seven seasons, they only once finished outside the top six. Indeed, in 1954/55, they finished in third place. While a second league title was to elude them for a further two decades, Roma did win the Fairs' Cup in 1961. They defeated Union St-Gilloise of Belgium, a Cologne XI from Germany and Scotland's Hibernian FC en route to the final, where they played Birmingham City FC of England. Pedro Manfredini, part of an all-Argentine strikeforce with Antonio Valentin Angelillo, put the Italians 2-0 up in the first leg at Saint Andrew's, and though Birmingham managed to earn a 2-2 draw, Roma won the return 2-0 to clinch a 4-2 aggregate success. Another star of the side was goalkeeper Fabio Cudicini, who became the only player to win the Fairs' Cup, European Champion Clubs' Cup and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. His later successes came with Milan AC. Roma, though they briefly flirted with bankruptcy in the wake of the signing of striker Angelo Sormani for a then world record fee, reached the semi-finals of the Fairs' Cup in 1963. Both sides of the coin They missed out in the semi-finals of the 1969/70 European Cup Winners' Cup in a competition that, quite literally, showed them both sides of the coin of European competition. In the second round, they edged out Dutch side PSV Eindhoven on a coin toss after a 1-1 aggregate result. However, in the semi-finals the law of averages caught up them when they exited on a coin toss themselves after two legs and a play-off failed to separate them and KS Górnik Zabrze. The Coppa Italia success that led to that European appearance was Roma's second - they won their first in 1963/64. They were, though, isolated triumphs, but further cup victories in 1980 and '81 were the harbingers of a more sustained spell of success. Golden Era The second cup win in 1981 was combined with a second-placed league finish, and though they slipped to third in 1982, the follow season, the club finally annexed its second scudetto. Swedish coach Nils Liedholm, in his second spell with the club, was the catalyst. The team included the club's record goalscorer Roberto Pruzzo, as well as winger Bruno Conti, who had won the World Cup the previous season, but the star attraction was the Brazilian Paulo Falcão, whose sublime skills had illuminated the World Cup. Roma finished four points ahead of Juventus FC. That title success saw them take part in the European Cup for the first time the following season, and they excelled. In addition to the aforementioned trio, Roma now boasted another Brazilian in Toninho Cerezo, as well as the veteran midfielder Francesco Graziano. They cruised past IFK Göteborg, CSKA Sofia, Berliner FC Dynamo and Dundee United FC to a final meeting with Liverpool FC. In the final, which took place in Rome's own Stadio Olimpico. Roma went down to Phil Neal's first half goal, but came back before the interval with a trademark Pruzzo header. Eventually, the match drifted towards a penalty shoot-out. Roma took the initial advantage when Liverpool FC missed their first kick, but when Conti and Graziani also blazed over with their kicks, Liverpool were crowned European champions for the fourth time, while Roma had to be content with gallant failure. Consistent force Roma have never scaled such heights since. They continued to be a consistent force in the Serie A, finishing second in 1986 and third in 1988, and also won further Coppa Italia honours in 1984, 1986 and 1991. In 1990/91, they again reached a European final, when an impressive run took them to the UEFA Cup final. Wins over SL Benfica, Valencia CF, FC Girondins de Bordeaux (a 7-0 aggregate annihilation), RSC Anderlecht and Brøndby IF to set up an all-Italian final against Internazionale FC. Aided by Thomas Berthold at the back, Giuseppe Giannini in midfield, and, most of all, the ten goals of Rudi Völler, Roma had been the most impressive team in the competition. However, they again failed to illustrate their best form in the final, played over two legs in the Giuseppe Meazza stadium and the Stadio Olimpico. They went down 2-0 in the first leg in Milan, and, despite an all out attacking effort in the return, only managed a 1-0 victory. In the 2001/2002 surely AS Roma will be one of the contender of the final victory of the champions league.
Europe: Record Part Pld W D L F A
European Champion Clubs' Cup 1 9 5 1 3 14 7
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 6 29 12 9 8 34 24
UEFA Cup 10 76 41 10 25 120 66
Total (correct to 26.3.2001) 17 114 58 20 36 168 97
               
Europe: Best Performances              
European Champion Clubs' Cup Runners-up     1983/84      
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Semi-Finalists     1969/70      
UEFA Cup Runners-up     1990/91      
               
Domestic: Best Performances              
Championship Winners     1941/42,
1982/83,
2000/2001 		     
Cup Winners     1964, 1969,
1980, 1981,
1984, 1986,
1991		      

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