The most immediate challenge is to see off Feyenoord. Right now, Roma at least know the steps they can take to get there. But that would be a matter for another day. The final itself would be another level of challenge, since it would either be against Mourinho’s former side Manchester United, fellow Serie A outfit Juventus, public enemy number one Monchi’s Sevilla, or a Sporting CP side led by Jose’s compatriot, Ruben Amorim. With the Special One at the helm, Roma should have every confidence of crossing the line. As La Magica learned last year, he comes into his own on big European nights. The former, on the other hand, have performed below par in the Bundesliga this season, but have a certain Patrik Schick among the ranks who may have a point to prove if he gets to come up against the side that once made him their record signing, only to see him struggle to meet expectations.Īt this point, though, whoever Roma face, having Mourinho in the dugout could be a pivotal factor. The latter may possess some kind of unknown quantity, which has already helped them this far in their first ever campaign in UEFA competition. Should Roma progress, only one hurdle will remain before the final.Įither Bayer Leverkusen or Union SG would be challenging opponents in their own right, too. It will be all to play for, though, in the quarter-finals. Overcoming Real Sociedad in the past round was an indication of how competitive the Giallorossi can be against established European sides.
Roma should be confident, though, that they can assert their superiority over the Rotterdam side once more. At the time of writing, they have only lost once domestically all season. For Roma, on the other hand, the motivation may well be to put them back in their place.įeyenoord are in form this season, though, currently leading the Eredivisie table after 25 matches. Slot has repeatedly insisted that his side played better than Mourinho’s in the final, and now they will have a point to prove. On one hand, some of their staff – led by head coach Arne Slot – seem to have developed a belief over time that it should have been their name on the Conference League trophy, not Roma’s, back in May 2022. In April, it will be up to Mourinho’s men to avoid a similar fate and progress instead in Europe.įeyenoord are an interesting opponent, for several reasons. The thought resides on this season’s Coppa Italia campaign, in which Roma similarly had an attractive potential route to the final, only to embarrassingly be eliminated by Cremonese. But can Roma get there in reality?Ĭertainly, the message that Jose Mourinho will be sharing with his squad is not to underestimate any opponent.
Some supporters might even already be starting to dream of seeing their side in a second consecutive European final, which would be a remarkable achievement if it was to materialise. Hence, they are already able to map out a relatively inviting route to the final. Should Roma overcome Feyenoord again, a semi-final against the winners of the tie between Bayer Leverkusen and Union Saint-Gilloise will await. It promises to be an intriguing and competitive tie. After winning the Europa Conference League in 2021-22, Roma have their eyes on the prize one level up in 2022-23: the Europa League.Īs fate would have it, the draw for the quarter-finals has put Roma up against Feyenoord in a repeat of last season’s Conference League final.
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