GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE BLOG
Riccardo Calafiori has been called up to the senior Roma squad for the first time, just a year after a serious injury threatened his career.
The 17-year-old defender suffered a devastating knee injury in the UEFA Youth League last October, but after making a scoring return to action for the Under-19s recently, Calafiori has now been brought into the first team fold by Paulo Fonseca, as several members of the squad look to overcome injury issues of their own. With the squad further depleted by the absences of Bryan Cristante (ruled out until 2020), Nikola Kalinic (out for around two months) and Davide Santon (battling flu), Fonseca has had to turn to the youth sector to complete a 19-man squad for Thursday's Europa League tie with Borussia Monchengladbach, with promising midfielder Alessio Riccardi also included. There is a chance that the 18-year-old, who made his senior debut in a Coppa Italia game in January, could play some part in the match, given that the midfield options are very limited. Jordan Veretout is the only fit natural central midfielder, while Javier Pastore played there for most of the game against Sampdoria at the weekend - although his ability to play three games in a week is questionable. Nevertheless, it is Pastore who is expected to start alongside Veretout on Thursday. Roma have one win and one draw from their Europa League campaign so far, most recently being frustrated in Austria by Wolfsberger. Monchengladbach, meanwhile, have just one point after drawing with Istanbul Basaksehir - although they currently lead the way in the Bundesliga, with one point more than Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund or RB Leipzig. The game gets underway at 5:55pm UK time, and will be available to watch via the BT Sport red button service.
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Roma's squad is boosted by the return of Davide Zappacosta for their Europa League trip to Austria to face Wolfsberger, but Lorenzo Pellegrini and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are among the absentees.
The attacking midfield duo were both ruled out for a number of weeks after undergoing tests at Villa Stuart on Tuesday, joining the likes of Cengiz Under and Diego Perotti on the sidelines. That leaves Paulo Fonseca with very limited options for his preferred 4-2-3-1 system against Wolfsberger, with Justin Kluivert, Nicolo Zaniolo and Javier Pastore the only fit players to have played so far this season who are comfortable in the attacking midfield roles. Hence, all three are practically guaranteed to start, although there could be an outside chance for Mirko Antonucci, who was retained after a decent pre-season but is yet to play competitively under Fonseca. Meanwhile, Chelsea loanee Zappacosta is back after an injury setback of his own, and will be ready to provide competition for Alessandro Florenzi or Leonardo Spinazzola at right-back. Perhaps the latter could switch to the left flank, to afford Aleksandar Kolarov some much-needed rest. Chris Smalling - one of the few players in the squad to have won this competition before elsewhere - could make his European debut for Roma, having seriously impressed in his first two outings in Serie A. His presence in the starting lineup on Thursday is not guaranteed after successive 90 minutes, but if called upon, his experience on this stage will be a boost. Both sides began the Europa League campaign with resounding 4-0 wins - for Roma, it was a comfortable evening's work against Istanbul Basaksehir, while Wolfsberger caused a surprise by demolishing German favourites Borussia Monchengladbach. With Israeli striker Shon Weissman in red-hot form, Roma must be wary not to underestimate their opponents, despite them being the bottom seed for the group. It will be the first time Fonseca has led Roma in a competitive game outside of Italy, with the Portuguese coach hoping to continue his positive record on the road. His side are yet to taste defeat on their travels under his reign. Meanwhile, Wolfsberger remain unbeaten on their own patch since Sturm Graz beat them at the start of August, but in truth, a side of Roma's stature are yet to visit. The game kicks off at 5:55pm UK time.
Roma began their Europa League campaign with a 4-0 win over Istanbul Basaksehir on Thursday night, extending their unbeaten run to 13 games.
Having picked up their first win of the league season on Sunday with a first half demolition of Sassuolo, Paulo Fonseca's men scored four again, only this time they kept a clean sheet as well. Ambitions are high for the tournament, and things could not have got off to a better start - especially with unfancied minnows Wolfsberger thrashing Borussia Monchengladbach by the same scoreline in the group's other game. Roma took advantage of an early own goal, with Edin Dzeko, Nicolo Zaniolo and Justin Kluivert adding to the tally to continue the positive start to the season. Fonseca finds the right balance It could have been easy for Fonseca to rotate his entire team, with a busy week of Serie A coming up that will see Roma face Bologna on Sunday and Atalanta on Wednesday. Indeed, the coach did take the opportunity to rest some players, with Gianluca Mancini, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Alessandro Florenzi getting a break - but a consistent spine was kept in the starting lineup. Defenders Federico Fazio and Aleksandar Kolarov, midfielder Bryan Cristante, striker Dzeko and winger Kluivert have been among some of the club's most consistent performers in their opening four games. All started the Europa League opener, and continued their bright form. Cristante put in his best passing display of the season - perhaps even his entire time at the club - by orchestrating play from the base of midfield. Dzeko was the ever-reliable focal point up front, scoring his 90th goal for the club as he closes in on a century. And the defensive duo also played their part in building play from the back. There was also the opportunity for the likes of Javier Pastore, Amadou Diawara and Leonardo Spinazzola to get much-needed gametime with their first starts of the season, while Nikola Kalinic came off the bench for his debut. All in all, Fonseca made the most of the opportunity to rotate. Nikola's Kali-Schick moment Kalinic's cameo did not make the best impression, though. After being played in with a glorious through ball from in-form sub Pellegrini, the new striker had yards to run at before what should have been an easy one-on-one finish. Instead, the former Fiorentina man pulled the trigger far too early, making it an easy save for the keeper. It was reminiscent of the chance Patrik Schick - the man he has replaced at the club - missed against Juventus in his first season. Fans will only hope that it isn't the start of a wretched spell in Rome like the one Schick went on to endure.
Praise for Pastore When Pellegrini was replaced by Pastore against Sassuolo, the attacking midfielder's arrival was met with a howl of boos from the fans. There could not be a greater difference between the perception of the two players - Pellegrini is Rome born and bred, one of the fans, and was comfortably the best player on the pitch that day, turning in one of the best individual displays seen at the club since the likes of Dzeko and Kostas Manolas in the famous Champions League win over Barcelona in 2018. As for Pastore, his time at Roma has been a disaster, due to injuries and a lack of quality. However, when the reverse substitution was made against Basaksehir, Pastore was applauded off the pitch instead. Particularly in the first 15 minutes of the second half, he had started to show some quality, beating opponents easily with his range of tricks. The end product was missing, as he couldn't quite set up a chance for his teammates, but he had done enough to begin the healing process with the supporters. Even so, a run of games will be hard to find given how well Pellegrini did when he replaced him. Zaniolo's versatility growing Another player who will still pose a threat to Pastore's chances is Nicolo Zaniolo, who delivered his best performance of the past six months. The promising midfielder hasn't started the season in the best form, leading to his omission from the senior Italy squad for the first time since his debut, but looks to be on the road to redemption already. Starting on the right wing for his first Europa League appearance, he caused problems for ageing full-back Gael Clichy all night thanks to his pace and strength. Whenever he has played out wide before, Zaniolo has looked wasted, but Thursday night showed that he is beginning to adapt to the demands of being a versatility man. He did not look out of place as he put in a man of the match display. Let's not forget that his first, and most famous, Roma goal came from the right-hand side, when he bamboozled the Sassuolo defence after cutting inside last December. Especially with Pellegrini making the number 10 role his own, Zaniolo can be a useful option on the right - as can Kluivert, whose goal came from that side of the box despite him playing as a left winger - while Cengiz Under recovers from injury. Lopez yet to fully convince Roma may have picked up their first clean sheet of the season, but not without a couple of nervous moments from Pau Lopez. High hopes are placed upon the Spaniard's shoulders after Robin Olsen's failure to live up to expectations last season. Lopez is the most expensive goalkeeper in Roma's history, but the credit for the clean sheet does not lie with his gloves. There was one moment in the second half when he came to claim a cross, but fumbled at it, only for the defence to spare his blushes. Of course it will take time for him to settle in - he quickly needs to gain a better grasp of the language than he did that cross - but has he made a memorable save yet? Even if he hasn't been terrible, Lopez needs to show his worth soon. Player Ratings: Lopez 6; Spinazzola 6; Fazio 7; Jesus 5; Kolarov 6; Diawara 5; Cristante 7; Zaniolo 8; Pastore 6; Kluivert 6; Dzeko 7 Subs: Pellegrini 7; Veretout 4; Kalinic 4 Coach: Fonseca 7 Man of the Match: Zaniolo
As Roma's Europa League campaign gets underway, there is a general sense of optimism that the club will take the competition seriously and be among the contenders for the trophy.
Paulo Fonseca has already confirmed that Roma have "big ambitions" for the competition, with the coach having previously reached the quarter-finals with Braga in 2015-16, before being knocked out by his next club, Shakhtar Donetsk. Over the summer, Roma assembled an experienced squad, with the lineup now featuring several players who have good history in European competition. Here is a brief look at the furthest stage each player has reached in both the Champions League and Europa League. Davide Zappacosta Champions League best: Round of 16 (Chelsea, 2017-18) Europa League best: Winner (Chelsea, 2018-19) The first of five former Europa League winners in Roma's squad, Zappacosta got his hands on the trophy at the first time of asking last season. The previous year, he had seen his new Chelsea side qualify behind Roma in their Champions League group before being eliminate in the Round of 16. Having never competed in Europe before leaving Italy to join Chelsea, he now has the opportunity to make his mark with a club from his homeland.
Bryan Cristante Champions League best: Quarter-final (Milan, 2011-12) Europa League best: Round of 32 (Atalanta, 2017-18) The Champions League gave Cristante his professional debut as a 16-year-old, with the midfielder featuring for Milan in a group match. The Rossoneri reached the quarter-finals that year, but he played no further part. He was more involved when Atalanta reached the Europa League Round of 32 in his final season in Bergamo, scoring three goals as he played in all of their eight games in the competition. Only Josip Ilicic scored more for them in Europe that year. Juan Jesus Champions League best: Semi-final (Roma, 2017-18) Europa League best: Round of 16 (Inter, 2012-13; Roma, 2014-15 and 2016-17) One of several players to follow on this list whose best European run came with Roma, Jesus was a starter in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final loss to Liverpool. It was the Europa League that gave him his first taste of European football, though, when he reached the Round of 16 in his first full season with Inter - a feat he has repeated twice with Roma since. Chris Smalling Champions League best: Runner up (Manchester United, 2010-11) Europa League best: Winner (Manchester United, 2016-17) An unused sub in both games when his Fulham side faced Roma in the 2009-10 group stage on their route to the Europa League final, Smalling went one better by winning the competition with Manchester United in 2017, playing all 90 minutes of the final. At the start of his United career, he had even come close to winning the Champions League, watching from the bench as his side lost to Barcelona at the end of his first season there. He had played nine games on their journey to the final.
Lorenzo Pellegrini Champions League best: Semi-final (Roma, 2017-18) Europa League best: Group stage (Sassuolo, 2016-17) Pellegrini was a member of the squad that got Roma further than ever before in the Champions League era, starting the second leg of the semi-final against Liverpool in which his side came within a whisker of another extraordinary comeback. Preparing him for that adventure, and his time at Roma as a whole, had been a two-year stint at Sassuolo, where he helped Eusebio Di Francesco's side qualify for Europe for the first time, before they were knocked out in the group stage. Diego Perotti Champions League best: Semi-final (Roma, 2017-18) Europa League best: Winner (Sevilla, 2013-14) Brought to Europe by future Roma sporting director Monchi in 2007, Perotti worked his way through the ranks at Sevilla, with his time with the La Liga club culminating in victory in the Europa League in his last year with the club - although at the time, he was out on loan at Boca Juniors. It was the first of three consecutive triumphs in the competition for Sevilla, but Perotti wasn't able to play in Europe again until joining Roma in 2015. He scored in the first leg Champions League semi-final defeat to Liverpool, giving some late hope of a Stadio Olimpico comeback. Edin Dzeko Champions League best: Semi-final (Roma, 2017-18) Europa League best: Quarter-final (Wolfsburg, 2009-10) For someone who spent four-and-a-half years with high-spending Premier League giants Manchester City, it may come as something of a surprise to learn that neither of Dzeko's best runs in each of Europe's two competitions came while at the Etihad Stadium. Instead, it was as part of a successful Wolfsburg side that he reached the Europa League quarter-finals, having dropped down from the Champions League the year after winning the German title. Nearly a decade later, he was the only Roma player to score in both legs of the CL semi-final against Liverpool. Aleksandar Kolarov Champions League best: Semi-final (Manchester City, 2015-16; Roma 2017-18) Europa League best: Round of 16 (Manchester City, 2010-11 and 2011-12) Another part of the unfortunate Roma side to lose in the Champions League semi-finals, Kolarov was the only member of that squad for whom the last four wasn't uncharted territory. Man City were edged out by eventual champions Real Madrid in the semi-final in 2016 - certainly a higher calibre opponent than the ones who had curtailed their furthest Europa League era ventures, with Dynamo Kyiv and Sporting CP being responsible for their Round of 16 exits in Kolarov's first two years at the club. Pau Lopez Champions League best: Group stage (Tottenham Hotspur, 2016-17) Europa League best: Round of 32 (Tottenham Hotspur, 2016-17; Real Betis, 2018-19) Despite being Roma's most expensive goalkeeper signing of all-time, Pau Lopez is yet to fully convince in his short time at the club. Unless Fonseca opts to rotate, the Europa League could be where Lopez comes into his own, but he has limited international pedigree. He never played in his sole season at Tottenham, where their European record was poor, meaning his Europa League debut only came last season, with Real Betis. They conceded six goals over two legs as they lost to Rennes, despite having won their group with just two goals conceded. Mert Cetin Champions League best: N/A Europa League best: N/A Roma's least high-profile summer signing, Cetin has never featured in European competition - and is unlikely to change that this year, having been left out of the squad for the group stages. Cengiz Under Champions League best: Semi-final (Roma, 2017-18) Europa League best: Play-off round (Istanbul Basaksehir, 2016-17) Under has grown into one of Roma's most important players over the last two years, but is yet to feature in the Europa League group stages. His only previous taste of the competition came when Fonseca's Shakhtar beat Istanbul Basaksehir - one of Roma's Group J opponents this season - in the play-off round. He secured his move to Roma the year after, playing his part in the run to the last four of the Champions League in his first taste of the competition. Davide Santon Champions League best: Winner (Inter, 2009-10) Europa League best: Quarter-final (Newcastle United, 2012-13) The only Champions League winner in Roma's squad isn't even a regular starter. Santon made one appearance on Inter's road to the 2010 final, where they beat Bayern Munich 2-0. He returned to Inter in 2015, a couple of years after reaching the Europa League quarter-finals with Newcastle. Nikola Kalinic Champions League best: Round of 16 (Atletico Madrid, 2018-19) Europa League best: Runner up (Dnipro, 2014-15) Roma's new back-up striker won the UEFA Super Cup in 2018 (as an unused sub), but was not part of the Atletico Madrid side that qualified for the event by winning the previous year's Champions League. Instead, his best ever CL run came last season, when Atletico, like Roma, lost in the Last 16 despite winning their first leg match. He has scored in a European final though, giving Dnipro the lead in the 2015 Europa League final, which they weren't able to defend against Sevilla. Federico Fazio Champions League best: Semi-final (Roma, 2017-18) Europa League best: Winner (Sevilla, 2013-14; 2015-16) Kalinic's Dnipro couldn't topple Sevilla in that game, which was sandwiched between the two Europa League titles that Fazio won with the club. In 2014, he played all of the final as Sevilla beat Benfica on penalties in Turin, while having returned to the club on loan from Tottenham for the latter half of the 2015-16 season, he was not used as the Spaniards beat Liverpool - who exacted their revenge on Fazio at Roma two seasons later in the Champions League semis.
Jordan Veretout Champions League best: N/A Europa League best: Round of 32 (Saint-Ettiene, 2016-17) One of the least experienced members of Roma's squad in terms of international activity, midfielder Veretout has only played in the Europa League once before. His Saint-Ettiene side topped their group after navigating the qualifiers in 2016-17, but were the first knockout victims of Smalling's Man Utd, who beat them 4-0 on aggregate in the Last 32. Nicolo Zaniolo Champions League best: Round of 16 (Roma, 2018-19) Europa League best: N/A Zaniolo's Roma debut actually came in the Champions League, before he had even played in Serie A. The midfielder made the most of his opportunities and became the youngest Italian player to score a CL brace in the Round of 16 first leg against Porto. The return leg did not go to plan, however, as Roma crashed out of the competition. Now, he will have his first chance to play in the secondary competition, the Europa League. Gianluca Mancini Champions League best: N/A Europa League best: Round of 32 (Atalanta, 2017-18) Mancini had the chance to be part of Atalanta's first ever Champions League side this season, and thus to make his debut in the competition, but sacrificed it to move to a bigger club in Roma. Another player upon whom expectations will be high despite a lack of European experience, Mancini did not play in any of the games when Atalanta reached the Round of 32 in his first season there. The year after, he played three times, scoring once, as they lost in the play-off round on penalties to Copenhagen. Alessandro Florenzi Champions League best: Semi-final (Roma, 2017-18) Europa League best: Round of 16 (Roma, 2014-15 and 2016-17) A loyal player whose only permanent home has been boyhood club Roma, Florenzi will be hoping to captain Roma to success this season. In the past, when serving as a vice-captain behind Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi, he reached the Europa League Round of 16 on two occasions. Roma lost to Fiorentina and Lyon respectively, before he was part of the first post-Totti side, which instantly reached its furthest ever stage in the Champions League era. Javier Pastore Champions League best: Quarter-final (PSG, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16) Europa League best: Group stage (Palermo, 2010-11; PSG, 2011-12) For a player of his pedigree, Pastore's record in Europe makes for rather disappointing reading. The attacking midfielder was part of a PSG side still finding their feet on the continent, as they lost in the quarter-finals in four successive seasons. In the Europa League - which he will be playing in for the first time in eight seasons - he has never made it beyond the group stage, as both Palermo and PSG finished third when he was involved with them. Leonardo Spinazzola Champions League best: Quarter-final (Juventus, 2018-19) Europa League best: Round of 32 (Atalanta, 2017-18) Despite being at Juventus since 2012, a series of loan spells meant Spinazzola's European debut was delayed until 2017, when he helped Atalanta to the Round of 32, playing in six games. His form in Bergamo was rewarded with a Juventus return the next season, but they couldn't beat Dutch giants Ajax in the quarter-finals. He played just one game in the tournament, but will have more opportunities in Europe with Roma. Amadou Diawara Champions League best: Round of 16 (Napoli, 2016-17) Europa League best: Quarter-final (Napoli, 2018-19) One of the players who could benefit from Fonseca's rotation policy in Europe, Diawara's only previous experiences in continental competitions came with Napoli. In his first year there, they reached the Round of 16 of the Champions League, the furthest the club has ever been in the tournament. After coming third in their group in each of the last two seasons, they dropped down to the Europa League, losing to RB Leipzig in the Round of 32 in 2018, and reaching the quarter-finals in 2019, where they were beaten by Henrikh Mkhitaryan's Arsenal without scoring. Mirko Antonucci Champions League best: Semi-final (Roma, 2017-18) Europa League best: N/A Only included on Roma's secondary squad list for the group stage, the Italian youngster came on as a last-throw-of-the-dice sub in the second leg against Liverpool in the Champions League two seasons ago. Daniel Fuzato Champions League best: N/A Europa League best: N/A Signed from Palmeiras last summer, Fuzato is yet to make his senior debut for Roma, and has not been included on the squad list for this year's group stages. Henrikh Mkhitaryan Champions League best: Quarter-final (Shakhtar, 2010-11; Borussia Dortmund, 2013-14) Europa League best: Winner (Manchester United, 2016-17) The last Europa League winner on this list, Mkhitaryan started and scored in Man Utd's 2-0 win over Ajax in 2017. After moving to Arsenal, he should have had the chance to play in another final last season, but political tensions between host venue for the final, Azerbaijan, and Mkhitaryan's home country, Armenia, meant he did not travel as his side lost to Chelsea. In the Champions League, he has reached the quarter-finals on two occasions. In 2011, after beating Roma in the Round of 16, Mkhitaryan's Shakhtar lost to Barcelona. Later, the Dortmund side he joined in 2013 had reached the CL final the season before, but weren't able to repeat the feat.
Antonio Mirante Champions League best: Round of 16 (Roma, 2018-19) Europa League best: Group stage (Sampdoria, 2008-09) Veteran keeper Mirante made his Champions League debut with Roma last season, playing once in the group stage versus Viktoria Plzen and then in the first leg of the Round of 16 against Porto. Roma won that leg, but when Robin Olsen returned in his place for the second leg, it was an extra time elimination for the Giallorossi. This year, Mirante may be given the chance to play in the Europa League for the first time in over a decade, having previously kept goal for Sampdoria on three occasions over two seasons in the tournament. Justin Kluivert Champions League best: Round of 16 (Roma, 2018-19) Europa League best: Runner up (Ajax, 2016-17) Kluivert had to watch on as a spectator as his former Ajax side marched to the semi-finals of last season's Champions League, having moved to Roma last summer. He could only reach the Round of 16 with his new side, but it was still better than the qualifying eliminations he had experienced in his previous two seasons with the Dutch side. The first of those led them to the Europa League final, where Kluivert stayed on the bench as Mkhitaryan helped fire Man Utd to the trophy. Now, the duo are teammates, and with both having unfinished business in the competition, they will be hoping to go far with Roma. Roma-Istanbul Basaksehir preview: Dzeko looking to pick up where he left off in Europa League19/9/2019
Roma begin their Europa League campaign with a home match against Istanbul Basaksehir tonight, as they look to make a positive start in a tournament they have high hopes for.
Roma are considered among the early favourites for the competition, and while it is important for fans and players not to get ahead of themselves, tonight will be their first chance to test their credentials in Europe's secondary competition. After picking up their first win of the Serie A season on Sunday, Roma are looking to continue their unbeaten start to 2019-20, but the side standing in front of them will be no pushovers. Istanbul Basaksehir finished second in the Turkish Super Lig last season, dropping into the Europa League after losing a Champions League qualifier against Olympiacos. With a star-studded squad featuring the likes of Robinho, Demba Ba and Martin Skrtel, they certainly have the big names to cause Roma problems, but the question will be if these ageing players still have the legs to compete. Roma will be without Cengiz Under, who they signed from Basaksehir in 2017, due to an injury which kept him out of the weekend's win over Sassuolo, while Chris Smalling and Davide Zappacosta also remain out. But even though the squad is a little thinner than ideal, some rotation can still be expected, with Paulo Fonseca confirming in his press conference that he would be resting some players before the trip to Bologna this Sunday. One player who will not be rested, though, is Edin Dzeko, with Fonseca revealing that backup striker Nikola Kalinic is not yet ready to start a game. Dzeko was among the scorers against Sassuolo, and also functioned well in the build-up play, so his experience could come in handy again tonight. The last time he played in this competition, of course, he finished it as top scorer, despite Roma being knocked out in the Round of 16. The game kicks off at 8pm UK time, and will be available to watch via BT Sport's red button service.
Roma get their Europa League campaign underway next week, with the club dreaming of winning its first European trophy since 1961.
After a disappointing 2018-19 season, Roma are returning to Europe's secondary competition for the first time since 2016-17, when they reached the Round of 16. Midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan has already confirmed that the target is to surpass that by reaching the final - which would be Roma's first European final since 1991, when Inter Milan beat them over two legs in the same competition, when it was known as the UEFA Cup. Fellow new arrival Chris Smalling is also confident his new team can challenge for the trophy. Before Roma can think of that, though, there is a group stage to navigate, with the draw pitting them against Borussia Monchengladbach, Istanbul Basaksehir and Wolfsberger. Here is everything you need to know about the three opponents. Borussia Monchengladbach Like Roma, Borussia Monchengladbach are returning to the Europa League for the first time since 2016-17, a season in which the Germans dropped down into the competition after coming third in their Champions League group. Unlike Roma, they have not been involved in the Champions League since, coming ninth, ninth and fifth in the last three seasons. They qualified directly to the group stages thanks to that fifth-placed finish last season, edging out Wolfsburg (not to be confused with the Austrian team also drawn in Roma's group) on goal difference. Over the summer, they lost one of their most famous names, Thorgan Hazard - brother of Belgium captain Eden Hazard - to Borussia Dortmund, while midfielder Mickael Cuisance was poached by Bayern Munich. However, they have kept hold of top scorer Alassane Plea, while reinforcing with the signings of strikers Breel Embolo from Schalke and Marcus Thuram (son of former Juventus man Lilian Thuram) from Guingamp. Captained by forward Lars Stindl, whose understudy is Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer, Monchengladbach have a fair amount of quality in their squad. However, this year they will be guided by a new manager, as Marco Rose has, like defender Stefan Lainer, moved from Red Bull Salzburg. The 42-year-old will be wanting to make an impression in his first job in a major European league, and is no stranger to this competition, having taken Salzburg to the semi-finals in his first campaign with them, 2017-18. A similar run would help him make a positive start at his new club - and history suggests it would not be impossible. Monchengladbach are the only team in the group to have won this competition before, doing so on two occasions - in 1974 and 1979. They have also reached the European Cup final once, losing to Liverpool at the Stadio Olimpico in 1977 - seven years before the English side defeated Roma in another final at the same venue. Istanbul Basaksehir The third seed for Roma's group was a name that will have been familiar to most fans - mainly because it was the club from whom the Giallorossi signed Cengiz Under two years ago. The Turkish winger spent a single season with the club, helping to fire them to a second place finish - the highest they had ever come in their relatively short existence - before trading one capital for another. Even since Cengiz came to Roma, though, Basaksehir have continued to establish themselves as major challengers in the Super Lig, replicating that runners-up finish last season - above the likes of Besiktas and Fenerbahce. In doing so, they booked their place in the Champions League third qualifying round, but were knocked out over two legs by Greek giants Olympiacos, without scoring a goal. As a result, they fell directly into the Europa League group stages. Managed by former Inter midfielder Okan Buruk, who took charge this summer, Basaksehir's squad list features more than enough stars of yesterday to make them an intriguing rival. Their most recent signing was Martin Skrtel, with the former Liverpool defender returning to Turkey, where he had spent the past three years with Fenerbahce. His ill-fated spell in Italy with Atalanta had lasted less than two months before he was released and replaced by ex-Roma loanee Simon Kjaer. Skrtel, 34, joins former Arsenal and Manchester City defender Gael Clichy (34), one-time Juventus forward Eljero Elia (32) and ex-Newcastle and Chelsea striker Demba Ba (34) among the Turkish club's ranks. This summer, they also brought in former Man City and AC Milan forward Robinho, now 35, and Fenerbahce veteran Mehmet Topal, while Gokhan Inler, once of Napoli, is entering his third season with the club. Former Fulham and Birmingham winger Kerim Frei will be a familiar face to English fans, while another name to keep an eye on could be Arda Turan, who is now into the third season of a loan from Barcelona. The Turkish number 10 failed to score at all last season, missing a large part of the campaign through suspension, but should never be underestimated. While many of these names may have struck fear into opponents five or 10 years ago, most are past their prime now - but even so, they could pose a serious challenge in the group. Roma will soon find out how dangerous they are, as they host them on 19th September in their first game of the competition. Wolfsberger Completing the lineup for Group J are Austrian minnows Wolfsberger, upon whom expectations will be limited. Only a top flight club since 2012, they are competing in the Europa League group stages for the first time, with their only previous taste of the tournament being in 2015-16. That year, after beating Belarusian side Shakhtyor Soligorsk, they were eliminated by German giants Borussia Dortmund in the third qualifying round. Wolfsberger's squad is mainly comprised of Austrian nationals, with German left-back Lukas Schmitz (who used to play for Schalke and Werder Bremen), Israeli forward Shon Weissman (who has started well, scoring four goals in a single game against Mattersburg on only his fourth appearance for the club), Serbian defender Nemanja Rnic, Kosovan midfielder Bajram Syla and Ivorian midfielder Anderson Niangbo the only foreigners in the roster. They are the fourth team in the group to be led by a new coach this season, with Gerhard Struber taking the reins after two years with FC Leifering, the second division side from whom Niangbo has joined on loan. Leifering are a feeder club for RB Salzburg, whom Struber worked for as a youth coach and assistant manager for several years (although never alongside Monchengladbach counterpart Rose, who worked with different age groups during the same time period). Now, the 42-year-old will be eager to prove himself on his own. Roma cannot afford to be complacent, but the games could be high-scoring affairs. Last season, Wolfsberger came third in the Austrian Bundesliga after the league was split in half for the championship and relegation rounds, but their goal difference was still zero. The 47 goals they conceded was only four less than bottom side Wacker Innsbruck; while this season, they have already been on the receiving end of a 5-2 defeat to Salzburg. Struber has work to do, then, to ensure his side do not become the whipping boys in a group where the three other sides all have realistic chances of qualifying for the knockout stages.
With Roma having learnt their potential opponents for the Europa League second qualifying round, Giallorossi Yorkshire takes a look at what the competition will mean to the club next season.
Roma will play the winners of Debrecen v Kukesi (pending the result of Milan's FFP investigation), with the first leg taking place at the end of July. It will be Paulo Fonseca's first chance to show what style of play he will be trying to implement at Roma, however little time he will have had to work with the squad beforehand. The new coach has his first chance to impress - but there are people who still believe Roma would be better off not being in the competition. Perhaps those arduous Thursday nights will be a distraction, adding unnecessary miles to Roma's travelling. Players could get injured in the extra matches, affecting how Roma perform in Serie A. But that logic is flawed. Roma must take the Europa League seriously next season. Look at the last time Roma had to play in the qualifying rounds for this competition, back in 2011-12. Luis Enrique's first games as head coach saw the Giallorossi lose 1-0 in Slovakia to Slovan Bratislava, before only drawing 1-1 in the return leg. Roma's European campaign was over before it had begun. That early elimination, rather than helping Roma do better in the league, set the precedent for a disappointing season. They finished seventh in Serie A, not even high enough to reach the qualifying rounds of the next edition of the Europa League. There were costly losses to sides like Genoa (who came 17th), Cagliari (15th) and even Lecce, who were relegated. In addition, they lost both games to Lazio, something even more painful for the supporters. Enrique was dismissed, and it was back to square one. Roma cannot afford another season like that. The reason wasn't because Enrique was a bad coach. He went on to win back-to-back La Liga titles, the Champions League and three successive Copa Del Rey trophies at Barcelona. Maybe his failure at Roma was a question of momentum, which could have been different had the season not started on such a bad note. Fonseca will be hoping to avoid a similar fate in his first season at Roma, and the Europa League is a competition he should prioritise. Of course he would've liked to have been in the Champions League instead, just like everyone associated with the club. But Roma must face their reality, and they can use it to their advantage. After the shocking departure of Francesco Totti, and everything that has come in the aftermath, what better way to get the fans back on side than with a good European run? There is no reason why Roma, with a couple of smart additions, can't venture far into the competition. Roma's UEFA coefficient is higher than all but two of the teams that have qualified directly to the group stage. Even though that figure is mainly based on past performances, it shows the level Roma are at in comparison to their competition - and suggests that, should they make the group stages, they will have a favourable draw. Entering at this early stage of the tournament, Roma will need to get through 20 matches if they are to reach the final. It won't be easy, but they still have a better chance of winning the Europa League than Serie A. And with no trophies having arrived under the American ownership after nearly a decade, it's essential that they find some way to quench the fans' thirst for success. Roma cannot afford to be complacent, but the Europa League can be used as a springboard for further glory. |
samuel bannister
Founder and editor of Giallorossi Yorkshire, who is also a columnist for Roma's official website about the women's team. Categories
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