The 5 Most Heartbreaking Losses in AS Roma’s History
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.