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After being drawn in the same group as Chelsea and Atletico Madrid, few outsiders gave the Giallorossi much hope of qualifying for the knock-out stages. How wrong they were…
Bren / @BrenCdT: “My best case scenario would have seen Roma fall to Chelsea twice, sweep Qarabag and hope for some scoreless draws against Atletico. European draws never seem to be kind to Roma and this was just the latest slap in the face.”
Francesco Costa / @francescocosta: “I didn’t think we had much of a chance, of course, but not because I didn’t have confidence in the team. When you’re drawn against the reigning champions of the richest league in the world and the second highest team in the UEFA rankings who have got to the Champions League final twice in the last four years… We have a great side but we’ve never gone past the quarter-finals of the Champions League and history counts for a lot in this competition. In spite of all that, we pulled off a fantastic achievement that perhaps we’ve not even fully grasped yet. Nobody gave us anything for free – we earned it.”
Andrea Cardoni / @andrecardoni: “'There’s a really tough group? A group with the champions of England and one of last year’s semi-finalists (and finalists in two of the last three Champions Leagues)? I bet that’s where Roma end up.' That is what I thought as soon as I saw the draw and it was in keeping with calculations made by El Pais, which said we are the unluckiest team in European draws. But then I thought it would be nice to get into it and perform well, and that’s what we did. Finishing top of that kind of group is something I hope we can build on, both in the league and the Champions League. So we welcome a few more opportunities to ride our luck this year.”
“If I’m honest, I was not confident at all. I was already preparing myself for Europa League football.”
- John Solano
Daniele Trombetta / @Dtrombetta87: "Personally I had complete confidence in the team, despite the tough draw. Sometimes, having nothing to lose takes the pressure off and makes things easier, and that’s how it worked out. The team produced some very good performances, showing maturity and strength.”
Wayne Girard / @WayneinRome: “I figured maybe we could get a second place finish if Chelsea and Atletico took it to each other. Roma have a habit of sneaking into that second spot, and I figured this could be a year like those from the mid 2000s.”
@Solano_56: “Roma’s Champions League history against English sides isn’t kind, and I was shocked by the grit and heart the team showed in both clashes against Chelsea.”
@Dtrombetta87: "I was more surprised by the away game against Chelsea, despite the convincing 3-0 win at the Olimpico. To go to Stamford Bridge and show that level of personality, dominate the game for the full 90 minutes and come away having deserved to win was incredible.”
@BrenCdT: “I don’t think surprise is strong enough a word to describe my reaction to Roma’s performances against Chelsea. It was some of the best football I’ve seen them play in years. We’re not talking about little one goal affairs, Roma put six goals past Chelsea, including three goals in a match at Stamford Bridge that they would have won were it not for Eden Hazard’s late goal. Those two matches provided such a lift for the club and really started to make me believe in Eusebio Di Francesco.”
@WayneinRome: “It blew my mind. I couldn’t believe Roma took both matches to Chelsea. I see Antonio Conte as the best manager in the world, and when Di Francesco came with his boys, I didn’t expect him to see and conquer. It was such a proud moment for me. I can’t remember the last time the club had such belief. A 3-3 draw at the Stamford Bridge and the demolishing of the English Champions in Rome!”
@francescocosta: “I was surprised by how we performed, up to a point. Nobody was expecting us to score six goals against Chelsea and take four points off them, of course, but the result in London was what really surprised me. Sadly, there have been many times in the past when Roma have played very well but had to settle for leaving with their heads held high – two years ago, for example, we produced two good performances against Real Madrid but ended up getting knocked out. The way the team reacted after going 2-0 down at Stamford Bridge showed that this side isn’t happy with just leaving with their heads held high. The match back at the Stadio Olimpico was the cherry on the cake – a wonderful show of strength – but in my eyes it was in London that [Eusebio] Di Francesco’s Roma truly took shape.”
@Dtrombetta87: "Topping the group was just reward for all their hard work and put Roma where they deserve to be – among the best teams in Europe.”
@Solano_56: “It’s a massive achievement and should be a huge confidence boost to the team in Europe. They will surely have the belief that they can compete with any team on any given day.”
@WayneinRome: “Topping in the group is so important when you think about winning silverware in the future. When a team is still growing rather than being a finished product, its successes like these that help the squad reach the next level. The belief grows on a personal and team level. After proving to themselves they can beat the best of the best, the team can make the next step onto becoming a championship winning team rather than just a team that’s in the hunt.”
@BrenCdT: “These weren’t your run of the mill European sides. Atletico were runners up in the Champions League twice in recent seasons, while Chelsea were not only the reigning English Champions but were led by Roma’s old nemesis, Antonio Conte, and they beat them both to the top, pushing Atletico out altogether. It was beyond my wildest expectations for Roma in the Champions League this season and I’m so excited to see what happens next!”
@Dtrombetta87: "The team has drawn real confidence from the achievement, but I think they need to exercise caution and not get overly confident and take their foot off the gas. It will be even harder for Roma to show what they can do in the last-16, despite them having been drawn against an apparently less testing team."
@francescocosta: “It’s an achievement that’s worth more than its immediate benefit, because it put us definitively on the map in terms of top-tier European football. These things are important when it comes to the transfer market, for example. When Roma are pursuing a player that is wanted by other big European clubs, they can now say that they wiped the floor with Chelsea and knocked out Atletico Madrid. In terms of building a team, it’s an achievement that enabled the coach to continue working in a positive, calm atmosphere and show just how well the process is going, despite the fact that this is only the beginning – let’s not forget that.”
Imperium Partners
Centurion Partners
