It's true! The trophy is ours!

Feyenoord Beaten: Roma conquers the first Conference League in history thanks to Zaniolo's goal in the first half and thanks to Mou in the second. We knew it could be wonderful, but not how wonderful. Tears fell more than smiles on the emotional faces of the winning As Roma fans, but this time these emotions didn't exclude the other. Fourteen years after the Coppa Italia, thirty-one after the last final, almost sixty-one from an international victory… it finally came true. The Conference League belongs to Roma. Remember it, shout it out, celebrate with each other because the dream has come true. When Kovacs whistled the end of the match, the Feyenoord players fell to their knees in defeat while the As Roma fans went crazy in the South section of the stadium in Tirana. Here we will take home the trophy, celebrate and we will be twinned for life with the big stadium, because it is the most beautiful in the world, containing 20,000 spectators. 

It's over 1-0goldiZaniolo, it must be written all attached, who is now wanted in all the soccer markets, but yesterday he belonged to As Roma and with that soft step he annoyed Bijlow persistently, challenging him in the box. Because the Feyenoord defensive line lost Zaniolo in the intensity, they didn't see him sneak away from his defender as he brushed the ball with the side of his foot and into the back of the net like an athletic artist. Right then, it was over, 1-0, for Smalling, an unbreakable wall, a dam that could hold up any storm, an insurmountable bulwark, for example, Losi, Aldair and Samuel together. Then this elegant player, Zaniolo, came out of nowhere, not committing a foul and pursued his chance to score. It also ended 1-0 for Mourinho. Since the myths are not understood, they must be accepted: They are myths. They are not comprehensible. They have a different kind of style and meaning, flying over our reasoning. That's why Zaniolo immediately, and Oliveira later, were poorly defended and why Viña was put to the right in the final, leaving Spinazzola on the left alone. No one was guarding him. Spinazzola arrived last summer, and his new teammates all asked him how much he wanted to win, so, as someone able to face any challenge head on, he didn't respond. He just won. Still, we are here to recognize the myth. It ended 1-0 for Pellegrini, too, the courageous captain of As Roma with an infinite heart. Maybe not the strongest of all, but the most Roman of all. It, of course, ended 1-0 for everyone, even for those who held the balance of the game in their power (who removed the ball from Linssen's plate in the 92nd minute? Maybe Agostino? Thanks again, Captain), raising the white flag too soon.  

Mourinho kept the players on the field, as they fought exhaustion and still tried to push on when, in fact, they found the energy to jump for joy in celebration with their teammates at the end of the match. It's over 1-0 for Rui Patricio, unmatched when Smalling did not defend his Feyenoord player. The victory was up to the whole team: up to Spinazzola (keep smiling, boy, your hard work and suffering was not for nothing, you won) and to Shomourodov and Viña, who finally entered to protect the teams' title. And Zalewski, and all. All. A final is supposed to be played and feel like this with the many emotions, especially from the fans of both teams, and maybe from the neutral spectators as well, but more for the ones who care. If someone still feels they must blame Mourinho because the team does not play top-level soccer, they are forgetting the difference between those who are just spectators who don't know the game and those who choose to focus on one aspect of the game because they are convinced that it can bring them better results. 

So, the Portuguese can also afford to make a mistake - Mkhitaryan - yet no one is affected because whoever takes over after just a quarter of an hour, Oliveira, on the pitch cold while the Armenian surrenders sitting on the goal line, shaking his head after a couple of attempted and unsuccessful lunges. He does even better than his partner.  It is fair to say that when in the past we considered the couple Cristante and Oliveira to be unproductive, we were obviously wrong, underestimating the mental strength of some players, more important than the physical ones. Mourinho had relied on Miky's talent (he had said it blatantly on the eve) and, instead, after a while he had to change his plan with the solid setting of a 3412, now refined in every detail, with Pellegrini behind Abraham and Zaniolo, waving goodbye to their opponents.  

Maybe it's true, but José, up to the season, has believed in Zaniolo, and was rewarded with the winning goal from his player. The masterpiece of the 32nd minute, after no dangerous advances from the Dutch, was a perfectly chipped ball from Mancini behind the worst defender of Feyenoord, Trauner, Zaniolo slightly touched the ball, controlled it and then had the instinctive choice to dig his foot under the ball instead of kicking it with the top of his foot. Feyenoord's goalkeeper came off his line with the help of Aursnes. Until then, he was seen very little: the usual Feyenoord with his classic 4231 without knowing that it was not productive, with little useful movement from the fast outside players (controlled by Karsdorp and Zalewski, when they did not come out high on opposing fall backs). They choose to focus on the top scorer of the tournament, Dessers, pulverized by an immense Smalling.

The Dutch's problem, above all, came in the middle, with the Norwegian Aursnes facing the constant pressure of Pellegrini and the Turkish Kokcu ready to launch the initiative by connecting with the attack, but no play has ever flowed from the two medians and the Roma defense easily controlled their opponents throughout the first period. Only a mistake could have threatened Rui Patricio's life; Karsdrop tried in the 18th minute with a rash back pass on which Dessers fell, from the sidelines, ready to serve Kokcu who blocked the shot and served Zalewski. In the 25th minute, the same Trauner badly knocked out Abraham in the middle of the field who was quickly getting away, earning him the first yellow card of the evening. Pellegrini instead earned the second card for a foul by Dessers from behind on Smalling, not sanctioned by the referee as he deserved.  Then Zaniolo's goal in the 32nd minute unlocked the game, and three minutes later, Abraham went straight towards Senesi, challenging him, who then stopped him for a corner. Tammy's reaction to the corner was met with the waving of a lot of plastic bananas: but to be honest, the inflatable banana has been part of the tradition of Feyenoord fans. 

The worst moment of the match (but now it turned out fine) was the start of the second half, when Feyenoord tried to change the outcome of the game by putting forth their maximum effort on a short corner kick, but Mancini tried to reject the effort, hitting his opponents ball off the goal pole (who accompanied it this time, Dino Viola? In that case, thanks again president). On the rebound, Til tried once again to score but was met again with opposition from Rui Patricio. At the 5th minute, an insurrectional action and discharge from the area towards the outside of Malcia's cursed left, Rui had stretched again, this time to his limit in the shortest time possible, moving the ball along the right trajectory to bounce it off the goalpost corner (and who knows if there was a handball from Geppo, Roberto, Antonio, Dante or Luisa. Anyways, thanks again guys. The victory is yours too).   

It seemed to be the beginning of the end for us, but it was for Feyenoord. It is true that we suffered. Mourinho and his genius players got to celebrate and enjoy the victory while the others suffered the pains of hell. The game was three quarters of the Romans taking the stage, while the Dutch quarter blew and fell short. In fact, the Dutch banged against the wall in three quarters, without ever really bothering Rui who in the three quarters, during the long moments in which the Feyenoord took a breath, warmed up like a tango dancer with his facial expressions and body movements. Many shifts did not change anything, five for them and four for us (Spina and Veretout in for Zalewski and Zaniolo, Roma about 352 and much less suffering, then the two final changes, to hold until the end).  

Then a reckless ball was thrown into the area at the 2nd of the 5 minutes of recovery given by the referee, Kovacs (perhaps who came to train in Italy). Dessers attempted a header meant for Linssen who waited right in front of Rui, escaping behind Spinazzola, but instead the ball slipped away, and with it all our fears, of so many years of hopes and disappointments. How nice it is to always be Romanisti kings.  Especially on nights like this. Now, the party.