Jose Mourinho has won the first European League Cup with AS Roma, odunews.com reports.
Roma defeated Feyenoord 1-0 in the first ever Conference League final in Tirana, Albania, with Nicolo Zaniolo scoring the only goal of the game in the first half.
After a very cagey start to the game, with strong challenges from both sides, it was Feyenoord who took control and who dominated possession.
However, the Dutch side couldn’t turn that into real chances and it was Roma who took the lead during the first half, with Zaniolo doing well to control a Gianluca Mancini ball and nudge it past Justin Bijlow in the 32nd minute.
Mourinho’s side took that lead in to the break, but Feyenoord looked to get straight back into it at the start of the second half and a dangerous low ball was turned onto his own post by Mancini, with the Italians eventually managing to clear and survive a VAR check for a potential handball penalty.
But, the Eredivisie team kept up the pressure and Rui Patricio had to do very well to tip a Tyrell Malacia shot off the post and away.
There was another scare for Roma when Cyriel Dessers burst through on the hour mark, even if a handball meant it wouldn’t have counted even if he had scored.
The Giallorossi improved, though, and put in a solid defensive effort over the final half hour of the game, nursing their slender lead all the way to the end and breathing a sigh of relief when Bryan Linssen wasted a stoppage time chance.
It is a memorable night for Roma, who win their first trophy since the 2008 Coppa Italia, while this was also the first European trophy lifted by an Italian side since the Champions League won by Mourinho’s Inter in 2010.
