Category: Sports

Every tennis player’s dream is to one day reach a grand slam tournament and take on the best of the best with millions in prize money up for grabs. Even making it to the first round is a massive accomplishment, while making it to the final is something only a handful of players get to do. In those finals matches, there have been some all-time tennis classics that have created some of the best moments in the sport’s history.

Let’s take a look at five of those matches that molded grand slam history in the men’s singles side of things. Between upsets and legendary performances from equally matched players, these matches have withstood the test of time.

McEnroe vs. Lendl (French Open 1984)

By the time 1984 came around, the peak of John McEnroe was coming toward the end while Ivan Lendl’s peak was just beginning. The two eras of men’s tennis overlapped in 1984 when they dominated throughout the season. This included the 1984 French Open with McEnroe coming in as the top seed while Lendl was right behind him. 

McEnroe looked like he was going to cruise to the French Open title, winning the first two sets 6-3, 6-2. Lendl wasn’t ready to give up, though, winning the third set 6-4. He then forced a fifth set thanks to a 7-5 win. McEnroe, who had not lost yet during the season, was pushed to the brink, and Lendl came out on top with a 7-5 win in the final set, marking the transition of one era to another.

Agassi vs. Ivanisevic (Wimbledon 1992)

A majority of the matches on the list come from the Wimbledon Championships, as it seems that players end up bringing their A-game for the historic event. The 1992 Wimbledon Championships were no exception, In that edition, not many people expected a final consisting of Croatian Goran Ivanisevic and American Andre Agassi as they were ranked eighth and 12th, respectively. However, that’s exactly what the crowd got.

Each man knocked a fellow legend out of the semifinals, with Agassi beating John McEnroe in straight sets while Ivanisevic defeated Pete Sampras in four. Ivanisevic jumped out to an early lead over Agassi, but the American won the next two sets. Ivanisevic forced a fifth set thanks to a 6-1 win, and in the final set, Agassi came out on top 6-4. It marked the beginning of Agassi’s dominance throughout the 1990s, giving him his first major title.

Djokovic vs. Nadal (Australian Open 2012)

We didn’t want to feature a single player more than once or twice, otherwise, the entire list would probably be Rafael Nadal thanks to his epic matches against some of the all-time greats. The first of the two Nadal matches that we’ll feature is from the 2012 Australian Open. Nadal was the second-seeded player in the tournament with Novak Djokovic in the top spot. The two were on a collision course (a common occurrence) and met in the finals.

The match was back-and-forth the entire way, with Nadal winning the first set 7-5. Djokovic answered back with 6-4 and 6-2 set wins himself. Nadal needed a win in the fourth set and did just that by winning a tiebreaker 7-6. However, Djokovic came up big in the final set, winning 7-5 to take the title after a nearly six-hour match, giving Djokovic his fifth major title.

Federer vs. Nadal (Wimbledon 2008)

Novak Djokovic isn’t the only major rival that Rafael Nadal has had throughout his career. He and Roger Federer formed one of the all-time greatest rivalries in tennis history. It was hard to narrow it down to just one finals match that the two had against each other, but the 2008 Wimbledon Championships final ranks number one for most tennis experts. The two men came in as the top seeds and stormed through the competition to meet for the title.

Nadal came out hot with 6-4 wins in the first two sets. Federer then needed a tiebreaker in the third and fourth sets to force a fifth. This time, though, Nadal would stand strong, earning a 9-7 win to give him the title after a grueling 4 hours and 48 minutes marathon. 

Bjorg vs. McEnroe (Wimbledon 1980)

Speaking of great tennis rivalries, the original big rivalry that caught worldwide attention was between Swede Bjorn Borg and American John McEnroe. The two had a lot of epic battles, but most agree that their meeting at the end of the 1980 Wimbledon Championships ranks as the best in the rivalry and perhaps the best match in tennis history. 

McEnroe dominated the first set, but Bjorg answered back with set wins of 7-5 and 6-3 to give him the edge. The fourth set saw a marathon tiebreaker with McEnroe finally coming out on top. In the deciding set, though, Bjorg got the best of McEnroe with an 8-6 win, giving him his fifth straight major title.

When people think about tennis players, their minds tend to go immediately toward singles players, but there’s a lot of interest and money to be made in doubles play. Throughout tennis history, there have been some truly dominant teams, and that includes the current ATP era of tennis where some players found the yin to their yang.

Many players who end up going into doubles are mid-level singles players, and finding a partner you gel with can propel you to a top global ranking. Let’s look at some of those duos who have found unprecedented success, ranking the top five ATP doubles teams in history.

Paul Haarhuis and Jacco Eltingh

Representing the Netherlands, Paul Haarhuis and Jacco Eltingh had moderate success as singles players with Haarhuis having a winning percentage of just over .500 while Eltingh was below that mark. As a duo, though, they were one of the best in tennis history. Together, Haarhuis and Eltingh won 39 titles, including several majors.

Their first grand slam came at the 1994 Australian Open, and later that year they combined to win the US Open. Haarhuis and Eltingh went on to win a total of six grand slams, including a pair of Australian and French Opens, each. “We know each other through and through,” Eltingh said. “That is precisely why it is perhaps easier for us to tell each other the truth. Paul can advise or point out things to do differently.”

Daniel Nestor and Mark Knowles

While the other doubles teams on the list are from the same country, Daniel Nestor and Mark Knowles are from very different countries. Nestor, a Canadian, had 11 different partners and won 91 doubles titles, but most of his success came from Bahamas native Mark Knowles. Neither man reached the top 50 in the singles rankings but were number one in doubles.

Together, Nestor and Knowles won 40 team titles including three grand slams. Their first major came in the 2002 Australian Open, which was followed up by the 2004 US Open and eventually the 2007 French Open.  Interestingly enough, Nestor and Knowles have squared off against other once in a singles competition. The match occurred in 1997 with Nestor coming out on top in four sets.

Emilio Sanchez and Sergio Casal

The second and final European team on the list is comprised of Spaniards Emilio Sanchez and Sergio Casal. The duo ranks third all-time in titles with 44, while Sanchez won another six without Casal. As singles competitors, Sanchez and Casal were quite accomplished, with the former reaching number seven in the rankings.

What might come as a surprise is that the two won just a pair of grand slam titles in the 1988 US Open and 1990 French Open. Since their playing days came to an end, the two have opened up a tennis academy that has helped train some of the top players in tennis. “Without the training, you can’t succeed,” Sanchez said. “Rafael Nadal trains 90 percent of the time and plays in tournaments only 10 percent of the time.”

Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde

Australians Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde were tennis celebrities and the duo was known simply as The Woodies throughout much of their careers. Together, they won 61 ATP titles including 11 majors. Wimbledon was where they dominated, with The Woodies winning six of them. In 2010, the team was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame and have their statues sitting at Melbourne Park.

Sadly, unlike the other doubles teams on the list, Woodbridge and Woodforde don’t talk to each other much after their careers. “I guess the Woodies drifted into the background for him and he’s developing his own brand,” Woodforde said. He added that “We don’t have a lot to talk about these days…I would love to be able to play some more of the legends events together, but it’s just at a position…it is where it is right now.”

Mike Bryan and Bob Bryan

You’d think that a bulk of the most successful doubles teams in tennis history would be related, but there’s only one set of brothers, and they’re the most successful by a wide margin. The Americans are identical twins born in 1978 and dominated throughout their careers, spending a record 438 weeks as the top-ranked duo. 

The list of accomplishments is amazing, with 119 titles won while playing together, putting them nearly 60 titles ahead of The Woodies. Among those titles are their 16 grand slam wins, including six at the Australian Open. The Bryan brothers are also the only doubles team to hold all four grand slam titles in a calendar year.

Being a football manager is a tough job, and you should probably never expect to stay with one club for more than just a couple of years. Because of this, it can be difficult to stick around long enough to make your mark on a club’s history, but there are some who are considered all-time greats with certain clubs.

Paris Saint-Germain has a rich history of success and there’s a long list of managers who have won titles with PSG. Out of those managers, though, which ones rank as the best? Here are our choices for the top five. Before we begin the list, some of the managers who just missed the cut include Christophe Galtier, Carlo Ancelotti, Ricardo, Artur George, and Robert Vicot.

Mauricio Pochettino

Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino had a quarter-century-long professional paying career, which included two years with PSG following his longer tenures with Newell’s Old Boys and Espanyol. Pochettino finished out his playing days with Bordeaux and returned to Espanyol, becoming that club’s manager following his retirement in 2006. Pochettino then managed Southampton and Tottenham before his brief (but successful) time with Paris Saint-Germain.

Pochettino’s time with PSG may have been brief, but it was indeed prosperous. Pochettino was able to lead the club to three honors, including winning Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, and Trophee des Champions. Pochettino had a 65.48 winning percentage in his 84 matches, but the club decided to part ways with the manager after losing in the Champions League to Real Madrid.

Luis Fernandez

Midfielder Luis Fernandez was already one of the more successful PSG players during the 1980s, spending much of his playing career with the club during that time. The Spaniard ended his career playing for RC Paris and Cannes, including being a player-manager for the latter during the early 1990s. His second managerial job was with Paris Saint-Germain, a job he held from 1994 to 1996.

Fernandez even came back for a second stint from December 2000 until May 2003. Though he might not have the best winning percentage in club history at 51.23%, Fernandez has the most matches under his belt for any PSG manager. Fernandez won five major honours, including becoming the only manager in PSG history to win the UEFA Winners’ Cup and UEFA Intertoto Cup.

Thomas Tuchel

Unlike the others on the list, German Thomas Tuchel didn’t have a long professional playing career. He made just 77 professional appearances with two clubs during the 1990s in lower levels, then went into a managerial role with FC Augsburg II in 2007. After stints with Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund, Tuchel was announced as the PSG manager in 2018 before departing in 2020 to lead Chelsea.

Tuchel is just one of two managers in PSG history to win Ligue 1 multiple times, doing so twice in back-to-back years (2019, 2020). Tuchel’s winning percentage (74.80%) is second all-time in club history behind just the number two manager on the list. Tuchel won a few other honors with PSG, too, including the Coupe de France and French League Cup.

Unai Emery

Another Spaniard to make the list, Unai Emery played professionally from 1990 until 2004 with five different clubs, with his longest tenure coming at Toledo. In 2004, he retired from competition after playing for Lorca Deportiva and became the team’s manager. Emery had four more managerial stops including Spartak Moscow before joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2016. After leaving PSG in 2018, he has since managed Arsenal, Villarreal, and Aston Villa.

Emery is second in PSG history in terms of major titles won with seven, including winning Ligue 1 in the 2017-18 season. Emergy also won a pair of Coupe de France, French League Cup, and Trophee des Champions titles. No other manager has a higher winning percentage, either, with Emery winning 76.32% of his 114 matches.

Laurent Blanc

The top manager for Paris Saint-Germain just also happens to be the only one on the list that’s from France. Laurent Blanc was born in Ales in 1965 and spent 20 years playing professionally, with the bulk of his time being spent with Montpellier. Blanc also notably played for Inter Milan, Barcelona, and Manchester United then went into management in 2007 with Bordeaux. After managing the French National Team, Blanc became PSG’s manager from 2013 to 2016.

Blanc is third all-time in PSG history with 173 matches managed, and his winning percentage of 72.83% is insane for someone with that many matches. Blanc won 126 of his 173, and no other manager in club history has as many honors. Under Blanc, PSG won Ligue 1 three times (a club record) to go along with a trio of French League Cups and Trophee des Champions.

Football is a game that essentially comes down to a chess match, and your team is lucky to net one goal throughout the entire contest. Because of that, accumulating a lot of goals throughout your career can be incredibly difficult, and having someone who can finish in front of the net and put your team ahead is perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle. If you have one of the best strikes in football, you can achieve incredible things.

Throughout the history of football, which players have been the best at scoring? Instead of measuring by sheer volume, we’ll look at the five best goal-scorers based on talent and their overall accomplishments that came as a result of their abilities. Before we start the list, here are some of the great goal-scorers who just missed the list: Romario, Ferenc Deak, Gerd Muller, Jimmy Jones, and Robert Lewandowski.

Ferenc Puskas

We begin our list with a Hungarian player who helped to grow international interest in football following World War II. Ferenc Puskas spent the first 13 years of his professional career playing in his home country as a member of Budapest Honved. During that time, Puskas netted 358 goals and needed just 350 club matches to do so. He then turned his attention to Spain, joining Real Madrid for the final eight years of his career.

Puskas’s scoring abilities didn’t wane with higher competition, and he was still able to score 156 goals in 180 club matches. As a member of the Hungarian National Team, Puskas added another 84 goals in 85 matches. With all of his competitions taken into consideration, Puskas scored 729 times during his career, doing it in far fewer continental matches compared to some of the other greats.

Josef Bican

Sticking with players who came around earlier in the 20th century, Josef Bican was from Vienna and started his professional career in 1931 with Farbenlutz. After a few stints throughout his home country, Bican made his way to Slavia Prague where he spent nearly a decade. In 221 league games, Bican netted 427 goals, giving him a nearly two-goal-per-game average. After leaving in 1948, he continued scoring in bunches.

With the likes of FC Vitkovice and Dynamo Prague, Bican continued to average well over one goal per game. Though he ranks just outside of the top five of all-time in career scoring, Bican was known for being the fastest player in the world, allowing him to be a top scorer. Had there been more matches per year during his time, Bican may have been the world’s all-time top scorer.

Pele

Everyone, whether they’re football fans or not, knows who Pele is. The Brazilian star spent most of his professional career with Santos, then capped off his playing days by heading to the United States and drawing interest for the New York Cosmos. During league matches, Pele scored 606 times in 647 appearances.

His scoring prowess didn’t decline on the world stage, either, as Pele added another 77 goals in his 92 international matches representing Brazil. When accounting for all of his goals scored, Pele is third all-time with 762. While the other players on the list needed around 23 to 25 years for these accomplishments, Pele did it in 20.

Cristiano Ronaldo

We now turn to the modern era of football for our top two, and it was difficult to place them in the order that felt the most ‘right.’ In second place is Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the most brilliant strikers in football history who has scored more goals in continental play than anyone in football history. Ronaldo’s most memorable playing days have come as a member of Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, as well as the Portuguese National team.

Ronaldo averaged more than one goal per game as a member of Real Madrid, and he has nearly 120 goals in international play. In terms of overall goals, nobody has more than Ronaldo at more than 820. Between his feet and his head, there has always been more than one way for Ronaldo to beat a keeper.

Lionel Messi

You could probably guess who number one was going to be based on number two, and it’s indeed Argentinian Lionel Messi. Messi has spent nearly all of his professional career with Barcelona, scoring 474 times in league play before heading to Paris Saint-Germain. Of course, Messi has also represented his home country, scoring around 100 goals in international play.

Messi ranks second all-time in goals scored behind Ronaldo but has kept the tally close in fewer matches played. Messi’s agility and quickness make him lethal as a scorer, and he scores in much different ways than Ronaldo. While Ronaldo can knock a keeper into the net with a kick, Messi prefers to dance circles around them.

Football is a game for the young and can chew you up and spit you out the second that you lose any of your prime agility. However, not everyone is built the same, and there are plenty of players who were able to continue having success later on in their careers. Most professional football careers end by the time someone turns 30, but then there are those who continue until nearly turning 40.

Who were the best players in football history after age 35, though? Let’s take a look at some of the all-time greats and what they were able to accomplish despite being a decade older than the average player on the pitch.

Ryan Giggs

Welshman Ryan Giggs started off his youth career in the mid-1980s with Manchester City’s youth program before making his way across town to Manchester United in 1987. Three years later, he made his professional debut at just 16 years old and remained with the club for a very, very long time. By the time Giggs celebrated his 35th birthday in 2008, Giggs had already been a professional player with Man U for 18 years.

With Giggs on the squad, Manchester United won four Premier League titles after his 35th birthday, as well as an FA Community Shield. No other player has won as many top division English league titles, and the fact he was able to play for so long while still being productive is the biggest reason.

Gianluigi Buffon

Italian Gianluigi Buffon is a goalkeeper who spent his early career with Parma before making his way to Juventus in 2001. After celebrating a dozen years spent with Juventus, Buffon celebrated his 35th birthday, but that wasn’t the end of his career. In fact, he would spend another five years with Juventus while also playing for Paris Saint-Germain and returning to Parma.

After turning 35, Buffon racked up a long list of accomplishments that would be worthy of a Hall of Fame career on their own. That includes seven Serie A titles, several Coppa Italia champions, and even a Ligue 1 title. Buffon won four Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year Awards after turning 35, as well.

Francesco Totti

Another Italian to make the list, Francesco Totti had a lengthy youth career with several clubs, eventually making his way to AS Roma. It was with the club that Totti spent his entire professional career, too, retiring in 2017 after 619 league appearances. Many of those came after Totti’s 35th birthday, and he still spent six more years with Roma before wrapping things up as one of the club’s all-time greats.

Tottie won a slew of awards after turning 35, including multiple sportsmanship awards and the UEFA President’s Award. Totti was able to score a dozen goals in the 2012-13 Serie A season and followed it up with back-to-back eight-goal seasons to show that he could still score with the young bucks. To tell you how long he played, his signature celebration was included with FIFA 17 for the PlayStation 4 while the FIFA franchise had just started on the Super Nintendo when his career began.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of those players that seemed to get better the older he got, and he has a long list of clubs that he has played for. Some of Ibrahimovic’s more notable stints include Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, and Juventus. In 2016, Ibrahimovic celebrated his 35th birthday while he was a member of Manchester United where he played for two years before heading to the United States and then returning to Europe to play for AC Milan.

Shortly after turning 35, Ibrahimovic helped Manchester United win the UEFA Europa League title as well as the EFL Cup and Community Shield. He was also nominated for the Ballon d’Or as one of the world’s best players. He’s been named the Serie A Player of the Month and won several MLS honors including two All-Star Game appearances and a 2019 Player of the Year honor.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo will be remembered as one of the greatest players in football history, and his longevity is one of the reasons for that. The Portugal native started his professional career with Sporting CP before becoming a household name as a member of Manchester United and Real Madrid during the 2000s and 2010s. In 2020, Ronaldo celebrated his 35th birthday and showed no signs of slowing down.

He was with Juventus at the time and made a return to Man U before signing a record-setting deal with Saudi club Al Nassr. Following his 35th birthday, Ronaldo led Juventus to the Serie A championship, as well as the Coppa Italia and Superocppa Italiana. He was also named the Serie A Footballer of the Year and Portuguese Player of the Year.

The United States is known for a lot of things, especially when it comes to sports. The Super Bowl is the most-watched event every year, but the United States is the only country where gridiron football is the most popular. There’s also baseball, basketball, and even hockey, and stock car racing that are watched more than soccer.

However, that doesn’t mean that America hasn’t produced any top-tier talent. Between international and club play, here are the five greatest American soccer players ever. Before we begin the list, some of the Americans who just missed the list include Brad Friedel, Michael Bradley, Tab Ramos, Claudio Reyna, and Damarcus Beasley.

Brian McBride

Illinois native Brian McBride is actually the oldest member of the list despite being born in 1972, which shows you just how much more seriously the US soccer program is taken these days compared to what it was. McBride attended St. Louis University and made his way to play professionally in Germany during the mid-1990s before being part of the early Major League Soccer days as a member of the Columbus Crew.

McBride spent some time playing in the English Premier League, mainly with Fulham where he had 33 goals in 140 appearances. In 2008, McBride returned to the MLS to play for the Chicago Fire before wrapping up his career in 2010. McBride spent 13 years as part of the US National team, scoring 30 goals in 95 appearances. In 2014, McBride was inducted into the US Soccer Hall of Fame.

Clint Dempsey

Clint Dempsey had some remarkable moments at the World Cup, giving him a lot of exposure around the globe. Dempsey also spent plenty of time playing in the English Premier League, spending five years with Fulham and another year with Tottenham Hotspur. Outside of that, Dempsey had an extended career in the MLS with the New England Revolution and Seattle Sounders.

Dempsey made over 140 appearances in international matches, scoring 57 goals in total. Dempsey is tied for first all-time in international goals scored with our number two player on the list, though he did it in 26 fewer appearances. Dempsey became a Hall of Famer in 2022 thanks to his long list of accomplishments that include being a four-time MLS All-Star.

Christian Pulisic

The pride of Hershey, Pennsylvania, Christian Pulisic is a speedy player who also spent time in Michigan before leaving the country altogether as a teenager to join the Borussia Dortmund youth program. In 2016, he made his professional debut with the club and had 10 goals in just over 80 appearances. Three years later, Pulisic made his way to Chelsea and quickly became the most well-known American player in Europe.

Pulisic also became a staple of the US National Team, and he made his debut in the same year he turned pro. Pulisic became the captain of the squad and has netted some very memorable goals on the international level. While in Europe, Pulisic has won the UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Cup while also winning a CONCACAF Nations League in America.

Landon Donovan

The man who is tied atop the list of all-time leading scorers in international play with Clint Dempsey is Landon Donovan. The Californian made his way to Florida as a teenager to attend the sports-focused IMG Academy, then made his way to Europe to play for Bayer Leverkusen. Donovan has spent the bulk of his professional career in the MLS, however, most notably with the LA Galaxy.

Donovan scored 145 MLS goals and won the league’s 2009 Most Valuable Player Award. He was a 13-time All-Star in the MLS, too, while also having a tremendous international career. Donovan netted 57 goals in 157 appearances, including a goal in his first World Cup appearance against Poland. With Donovan, the Americans made it to the round of 16.

Tim Howard

While there have been some prolific goal-scorers on the list thus far, the top player from the United States is a goalkeeper. Tim Howard was born and raised in New Jersey, which is where he began his professional career. Howard then headed to Europe in 2003 where he had a four-year stint with Manchester United before making his way to Everton for nearly a decade.

Howard made nearly 400 appearances in the Premier League between the two clubs while also having a 15-year international career with the US team. Nobody has had more saves in a single World Cup match than Howard, who had 15 against Belgium in the round of 16. Howard had 121 international appearances, earning him the USMNT’s Player of the Year.

As one of the richest clubs in Italian football, AS Roma has access to some of the better players around the world. The club is often active during the transfer window, and while not all of their signings have been home runs, a solid chunk of players have ended up helping the club tremendously.

Let’s take a look at the five best transfer signings in club history and how those players fared with AS Roma. Before we start the list, some of the players who just missed the cut include Juan Jesus, Edin Dzeko, Lorenzo Pellegrini, and Gabriel Batistuta.

Falcao

Brazilian native Paulo Falcao started his professional career as part of the Internacional youth program, then made his professional debut with the club in 1972. Falcao ended up being a staple for (Brazil’s) Inter, making nearly 350 league appearances and scoring 48 goals. 

Because of his lengthy tenure, Falcao attracted a lot of attention from European clubs, and Roma signed him to a large £650,000 contract in 1980. Falcao scored 22 goals in more than 100 Serie A appearances with Roma. The club won its second Serie A title (1982-83) thanks to Falcao, and they also won the Coppa Italia in 1981 and 1984.

Radja Nainggolan

Radja Nainggolan is a product of Belgium, coming up with both the Germinal Beerschot and Piacenza youth programs. With the latter club, he made his professional debut in 2006, making a total of 71 appearances before heading to Cagliari. Nainggolan was sent to AS Roma on loan, which was eventually made permanent in the same year (2014), and it ended up being a great deal for the club.

Between his loan stint and his permanent tenure, Nainggolan made more than 150 Serie A appearances and netted 28 goals. In each year of his Roma career, Nainggolan was named to the Serie A Team of the Year, and he was named the club’s Player of the Season in 2016-17. While his only Serie A title came with Inter Milan, Nainggolan was able to help keep Roma toward the top of the standings.

Vincenzo Montella

There’s only one player on the list that actually hails from Italy, and that’s Vincenzo Montella. Montella debuted as a professional in 1990 with Empoli where he spent his first five playing years. He then joined Genoa for a brief period before making his way to Sampdoria where he made more than 80 appearances while netting 54 goals. In 1999, Montella was acquired by Roma and would be under contract for the final decade of his career.

Montella spent a good chunk of 2007 and 2008 being loaned out to Fulham and Sampdoria but was able to make nearly 200 Serie A appearances during his Roma career. In those matches, Montella netted 83 goals while helping the club win the 2000-01 Serie A title and the 2001 Supercoppa Italia. In 2013, Montella was inducted into the AS Roma Hall of Fame as part of the club’s second class alongside Giuseppe Giannini, Attilio Ferraris IV, and Sebastiano Nela.

Miralem Pjanic

Bosnian-born midfielder Miralem Pjanic made his way to France as a teenager, joining the Metz youth program. He became a member of the professional ranks in 2007, appearing in 32 matches for the team before joining Lyon from 2008 to 2011. AS Roma took notice of Pjanic’s potential and decided to pay the €11 million transfer fee to acquire his services for the next five years.

Pjanic played out the entire contract with Roma, making 159 Serie A appearances and scoring 27 goals. While AS Roma didn’t win the Serie A title during his tenure, he did earn some individual accolades. This included being named to the Serie A Team of the Year while also earning the title of Bosnian Footballer of the Year. At his best, Pjanic scored 10 goals in a Serie A season while adding another two in continental play.

Aldair

The top spot on the list belongs to Aldair, a defender who was a staple of Brazil’s national team for more than a decade. He began his playing career with Flamengo in his native country, and after four years moved to Portugal to join Benfica. It was a short stint for Aldair, who after 22 matches was acquired by Roma and was given a total of €9 million for his services.

Aldair became a cornerstone for Roma after the 1990 transfer. He remained with the club for 13 years, and during that time appeared in 330 league matches. Despite his position, he was able to score 14 goals. Aldair was a member of the 2000-01 Serie A-winning squad, as well as the 1990-91 Coppa Italia-winning squad. He was named to the FIFA XI in 2000 and was inducted into the AS Roma Hall of Fame in 2012.

AS Roma fans have had a lot to be happy about throughout the club’s history. From winning titles to having some of the best players in the world, there have been some exhilarating match wins. However, there have also been some heartbreaking losses, with these five being the most devastating.

2018 Champions League Semis

AS Roma had a remarkable run during the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League season. The club was able to advance through a tough group that also contained Chelsea and Atletico Madrid, then defeated Shakhtar Donetsk in the opening round of the bracket. They then faced Barcelona and lost the first leg 4-1 before a remarkable comeback, winning 3-0 in the second leg and advancing to the semis on away goals.

However, the amazing comeback story came to an end in the semis when the team took on Liverpool. In the first leg, Liverpool jumped out to a 5-0 advantage in the 68th minute thanks to Roberto Firmino’s goal. However, Roma tried to stage a comeback, scoring two goals toward the end of the match. In the second leg, Roma almost capped off a seemingly impossible run, coming up just short as they won 4-2, needing one more goal to extend their run.

Dropping the Coppa Italia

There have been many instances in which AS Roma has won the Coppa Italia, but also plenty of times when the club had a chance to win, but ultimately fell short. One of the more heartbreaking losses in the tournament came in the 2009-10 edition of the tournament. AS Roma got by Triestina, Catania, and Udinese to set up a showdown with Inter in the final.

Inter was coming off of a 2-0 aggregate victory over Fiorentina, and 55,000 people made their way to Stadio Olimpico for the crowning of a new champion. Shortly before halftime, Diego Milito netted a goal for Inter, but it didn’t look like Roma was out of it completely. After many attempts at knotting the game up, however, Roma wasn’t able to score and Inter took the 1-0 mark all the way to the end, winning the tournament.

And Again

The end of the 2009-10 Coppa Italia tournament wasn’t the only heartbreaking finals defeat for AS Roma, either. Just three years later, an almost identical result took place. Roma didn’t allow a goal in the first two rounds of the tournament, defeating Atalanta 3-0 and then Fiorentina 1-0. In the semifinals, Roma defeated Inter by winning both legs (2-1 and 3-2), setting up the final against Lazio.

Unfortunately, just like the last time, their goal-scoring abilities for Roma seemed to disappear into the wind. Neither team scored a goal in the first half, and it wasn’t until the 71st minute that Lazio got on the board thanks to Senad Lulic. It was a mad dash at the end with Roma trying to extend the match, but it was not to be. The 70,000 fans in the stadium and the entire Roma squad had to watch Lazio lift the Coppa Italia.

Choking Away Serie A

Throughout the history of AS Roma, there have only been a couple of times when the club won the Serie A title. The first came in the 1941-42 season, and it took just over 40 years for the next one to come in 1982-83. It seemed that the wait for a third title was going to be short as Roma was in a position to win the 1985-86 league title. Heading into the 29th (and penultimate) match day, Roma was in first place and just had to win its final two matches to claim the title.

Things looked good against Lecce in the match as Ciccio Graziani scored in the seventh minute. However, Lecce scored three goals between the 32nd and 53rd minutes to take a 3-1 lead. Roma added a goal in the 82nd minute, but it was too late as Lecce took home the win while Juventus jumped into first place. In the final week, Roma needed a win paired with a Juventus loss to claim the title, but neither happened as Roma lost 1-0 to Como while Juventus defeated Lecce 3-2.

The European Cup Final

Whether it was when it was called the European Cup or the current title of the UEFA Champions League, AS Roma has not won the title. During the 1983-84 tournament when it was indeed known as the European Cup, Roma had a chance to finally win it. The club got by Gothenburg, CSKA Sofia, BFC Dynamo, and Dundee United in the knockout stage, taking on Liverpool in the final.

Liverpool jumped out to a 1-0 lead thanks to Philip Neal’s 13th-minute goal, but Roma scored to send the game to a 1-1 draw just before halftime. Neither team scored in the rest of regulation or extra time, and the title came down to penalties. Liverpool missed its first shot while Roma scored, but things unraveled quickly and Liverpool won 4-2 on penalty kicks.

Associazione Sportiva Roma is now one of the most recognizable professional football clubs in the world, but there were certainly some ups and downs along the way. Between some of the matches they played in the early days to how they got their uniforms and stadium, there are a lot of things that the younger supporters of AS Roma might not know.

Let’s take a walk down memory lane through Roma’s history to find some of the more interesting aspects that make the club unique. Here are five things you didn’t know about AS Roma’s history and how they came to be a football powerhouse.

The Badge is the Founding of Rome

If you look at the badge for AS Roma, you’ll notice an odd image of two human infants suckling at the teat of a wolf. If you’re not from Italy or don’t know ancient Roman lore, then this could be a very confusing sight. However, this image is one of the most important in Roman history. It shows Romulus and Remus as infants, and the badge directly takes the image of the sculpture titled Capitoline Wolf.

The legend says that the brothers were raised by the she-wolf and would go on to found modern-day Rome. This was said to have happened more than 14,000 years ago while the badge shows a much more recent date of 1927, the founding year of the club. As for the colors, they are the traditional ones of Rome, so the entire badge is a tribute to the club’s home city.

Fascists Formed the Club

If you’re a sports fan, you probably don’t want to know too much about the people who founded your favorite team because many of them tended to be not-so-great people. AS Roma wasn’t an expansion club and was actually the result of a merger between three clubs. Roman FC, SS Alba-Audace, and Fortitudo-Pro Roma SGS were combined to make AS Roma in 1927, and it was the brainchild of Italo Foschi.

Foschi was one of the most instrumental people during the Benito Mussolini regime in Rome, and he wanted to form a club in the capital city to compete with the North Italy squads. Foschih passed away after collapsing in the stands during a match, passing away just after his 65th birthday and surviving all of World War II.

They Couldn’t Afford to Travel At One Point

It’s hard to imagine any top-flight football club having money issues these days, but that wasn’t always the case. AS Roma is no exception to past money troubles, and they happened during the 1960s. Roma had enjoyed success throughout the 1950s but got relegated due to front-office corruption. The club was left without much direction and had a massive money issue.

At its worst, the club was unable to pay its players, and then-manager Juan Carlos Lorenzo said that even affording to travel was out of the question. Thankfully, supporters of the club pitched in enough money to keep the team playing over the next few years. This resulted in a return to form for Roma and paved the way for a prosperous 1970s.

The Stadium Had Previous Names

Since 1953, AS Roma has played its home matches at Stadio Olimpico. However, the stadium had been constructed long before it opened and had undergone a name change. The stadium broke ground in 1901, but it wasn’t until 1927 that construction began on what was originally known as Stadio dei Cipressi in the then-Mussolini Forum. The stadium finished in 1932, but before expansion could begin, World War II rendered the stadium useless.

Following the war, new work was done to remodel the stadium, allowing Roma (and Lazio) to become tenants. After hosting the 1960 Summer Olympics, the stadium’s name was changed to Stadio Olimpico and has undergone several changes since then. This includes adding a roof as part of hosting the 1990 World Cup.

Their Largest Victory Was Nine Goals

Every club has its highs and lows, and the worst defeats in AS Roma’s history have been 1-7 losses to Torino (1947) and Juventus (1932). As for the winning side of things, AS Roma had one of the biggest blowouts that you’ll see in professional football. On October 13, 1929, Roma took on the now-defunct Cremonese club.

Arturo Chini Luduena netted the first goal in the seventh minute, then Luigi Ossoinak and Rodolfo Volk scored twice each in the next 42 minutes. Both men would complete their hat trick attempts in the second half of the match while F. Bernardini and Oreste Benatti also added goals, giving AS Roma its largest victory ever at 9-0.

AS Roma is one of the more successful football clubs in Italy, and after hundreds of matches throughout its history, there has been a handful that really stood out as the best. Here are our picks for the five greatest AS Roma matches of all time and what made them so impactful.

Reaching the European Cup Final

Whether it’s known as the European Cup or the UEFA Champions League, the title has been hard to come by for AS Roma. Throughout the club’s history, Roma has never won the Champions League and has been to the finals just once. That came during the 1983-84 edition of the tournament when the club lost to Liverpool in penalty kicks. Though the loss hurt, the ride there was a lot of fun.

Roma started off the tournament by defeating Gothenburg, then took care of CSKA Sofia and BFC Dynamo. In the first leg of the semis against Dundee United, Roma lost 2-0, setting up a nearly impossible situation to advance to the final. The club needed to win by three goals but did just that thanks to two first-half goals by Roberto Pruzzo and a 58th-minute penalty kick by Agostini Di Bartolomei. The Roman crowd was going wild for the brilliant comeback to send the home team to its first finals appearance.

Roma 6-2 Inter

Though they aren’t as frequent as they once were, AS Roma were once perennial contenders for the Coppa Italia title. This was especially true during the 1980s as the club won the tournament four times throughout the decade. After 1986, Roma would win just one Coppa Italia (1991) before returning to glory in 2007. That Coppa Italia marked the last time that the final would be two legs, and the first one was a sight to behold.

In front of nearly 40,000 people at Stadio Olimpico, Roma essentially clinched the title thanks to their performance which started with a Francesco Totti goal in the first minute. In total, they scored four times in the first half hour, then Christian Panucci scored twice in the second half. Herman Crespo added two goals for Inter, but it was too late as Roma secured a 6-2 victory, giving them an insurmountable lead in the second leg.

Going Back-to-Back

In the 2007-08 Coppa Italia, the format changed so that the finals would be just one leg. Inter got a second shot at Roma in a winner-take-all match. Roma reached the final by defeating Torino (in an impressive comeback), Sampdoria, then Catania. For Roma, the match was a home game as it was played in Stadio Olimpico in front of a sold-out crowd of 60,000 people, and they didn’t disappoint.

Philippe Mexes got the scoring started in the 36th minute, with neither team scoring in the rest of the first half. Simone Perrotta then made it a 2-0 Roma advantage in the 54th minute, but it wouldn’t hold for long. Pele scored for Inter, making it a 2-1 nailbiter, but the Roma defense held strong and the 2-1 score would be the final, giving Roma its second straight Coppa Italia title.

Clinching Serie A

AS Roma won the Serie A title during World War II in the 1941-42 season, but it would be a long time before that happened again. Fast forward to the 1982-83 campaign, and Roma was still searching for its second title. Roma got off to a solid start, winning five of its first six matches. After a loss to Sampdoria in the third match of the year, Roma would lose just two more times, both to Juventus.

Juventus also happened to be the team that was hot on Roma’s heels in the table the entire season. Roma needed a win on the 28th matchday to clinch the Serie A title and was facing off against Avellino at Stadio Olimpico. Falcao netted a 38th-minute goal to put Roma ahead, then Agostino Di Bartolomei made it 2-0 in the second half to give Roma the Serie A crown for the first time in more than four decades.

Then Doing it Again

After winning the 1982-83 Serie A title, it was another long stretch for Roma until they were able to hoist the trophy again. In the 2000-01 season, Roma was once again battling with Juventus for Serie A supremacy, and things got a little dicey toward the end as Roma started collecting more draws than wins. Because Juventus won its final match, the road for Roma was simple: defeat Parma and win the title.

A loss or a draw would have given Juventus the Serie A title, but Roma came prepared. Francesco Totti and Vincenzo Montella scored in the first half while Gabriel Batistuta made it a 3-0 match. Marco Di Vaio netted a late goal for Parma, but Roma won 3-1 and the league title.