Italy: Rome celebrates as Roma win Europa Conference League

Rome: There were scenes of euphoria on the streets of Rome on Wednesday night after local team AS Roma beat Dutch side Feyenoord 1-0 in the inaugural Europa Conference League in Tirana.

The winning goal was scored by 22-year-old Nicolò Zaniolo, in the 32nd minute, to grant the Rome club its first major European title since the Fairs Cup in 1961.

Zaniolo, who described the goal as his “dream”, became the first Italian to score in a European final since Filippo Inzaghi against Liverpool in the 2007 Champions League.

The AS Roma victory was also another feather in the cap of coach José Mourinho, who joined the club less than a year ago, and who now has five European titles under his belt.

The tearful Portuguese manager, known as The Special One, described the result as “historic” and declared himself “100 per cent Romanista”.

“Let’s celebrate, we deserve it” – said Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini – “But a real team celebrates, and then starts again: we have to keep this moment in mind and then make it happen again as soon as possible”.

Rome’s Olympic Stadium, where more than 50,000 Roma supporters watched the game on giant screens, erupted with joy as ecstatic fans took to the streets in cars and motorbikes.

Thousands of fans descended on the Circus Maximus, celebrating late into the night in the historic venue.

Several hundred die-hard Giallorossi fans made their way to Rome’s Fiumincino airport to welcome back their heroes who returned to the Italian capital at dawn.

The city’s mayor, Romanista Roberto Gualtieri, hailed the “wonderful victory”, writing on Twitter last night: “Lifting a cup is never easy, winning one internationally is a huge achievement!”