A.S Roma, at the forefront of Italian football successes!

Rome and the final lost on penalties in 1984.
Toninho CERESO, Paulo Roberto FALCAO, Ubaldo RIGHETTI, Agostino DI BARTOLOMEI, Francesco GRAZIANI, Franco TANCREDI. Roberto PRUZZO, Bruno CONTI, Sebastiano NELA, Dario BONETTI, Michele NAPPI.

May 30, 1984.
Rome is fascinating, beyond the ordinary: yellow and red are everywhere, the enthusiasm is almost contagious and the fever for the event of history rises to heights never touched before.

The Champions Cup final is unique in the history of football in the capital: in a tavern, in Prati, the tension is intertwined with the unknown. An evening never experienced, a destiny that is unknown: the contrasting feeling of a legendary victory never achieved is opposed to how bitter the drama of defeat can be.

It is the decade of the 80s. The year, 1984, is like an auspicious sign for the Italian clubs, but perhaps as a bad luck for the National Team “Azzurra”, which, as world champion two years ago, was eliminated by Romania from the finals of Euro `84.
AS Roma, is the only football representative of the Italian clubs in the grand final of the “Champions Cup”, as it was called .

She was crowned Champion of Italy just one season ago.
A title won with full merit and long awaited, since in 1942, in the time of Amadeo Amadei, where in the ranks of that Roma, an Albanian also played, the right attacker, Naim Kryeziu.

This Rome, of the title “Scudetto” 1982-1983, has a composition of quality players, true champions. Sweden coach, Nils Liedholm has managed to create an outstanding ensemble. All departments are complete from the gate, defense, midfield and attack,

The pressure is great on the Roma team!
* Italian clubs are forgotten in the drawer of the 60s!
Milan 1963, Inter 1964, Inter 1965 and again Milan 1969, are four trophies brought to Italy two decades ago and Rome, gives the signs of a great revolution that is represented first with the colors yellow and red.

The final is in Rome.
Opposite is Liverpool in its best moment, with great experience after two cups in recent years, and Roma without international experience in major club finals. It comes only with the heart of a lion and with Bruno Conti, the engine of Italy’s World Champions in 1982, Francesco “Cicio” Graziani, the man who paved the way for Italy’s title two years ago, Roberto Pruzzo, its goal man, Franco Tancredi, the brilliant goalkeeper, Brazilian stars Falcao and Cereso, the “rock” player like the captain Agostino Di Bartolomei and Italy’s great talent, Ubaldo Righeti.

In fact, today, you “fall into despair” when you think of such a loss final after penalty kicks!

However…..

“La curva sud” the sector intended for the most ardent fans of Rome (i romanisti), is full since 8 hours before the start of the challenge.

After 120` dramatic match played, Roma, which after a foul in the attack by O’Neal against its goalkeeper Tancredi, is behind in the score, 0-1, fights for the impossible. They almost succeeds but…at the end loses the big final, so dreamed of, with just after penalties shout out. Neal has scored first for Liverpool, while Pruzzo equalized spectacularly with a header.
Conti and Graziani made mistakes from the spot of 11 meters. It’s the night of the “charlatan” Bruce Grobbelaar, the goalkeeper of Liverpool.

Bruce Grobbelaar of Liverpool prepares to face the penalty shootout

Midfielder Graeme Souness beats Roma goalkeeper Franco Tancredi

Falcao, due to muscular problems, has been withdrawn from the list of shooters in the 11-meter series.
Nine shots determine the winner: Liverpool! The experts have won!

The end belongs to the black chronicle of a violent night.
War between fan gangs in the city. English journalism accuses – “Your premeditated revenge”!

Liverpool has just written another bright page in its history. Rome will also enter in history. It is the forerunner of the successes of Italian football for the next 15 years. Rome itself will fail to lift a major title at home and this will happen again, after the second final with Inter for the U.E.F.A. Cup.

But it is precisely that night of May 1984 that will give Roma a place and a respected name in the history of Italian football and in the memories of football fans.

© By Arian Muraj
Edited and translated to English by: Pjerin Bj

Published for the first time on Facebook Page on March 30, 2020

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