Match Pack: AS Roma vs Athletic Club

The 2024/25 Europa League has finally arrived! After a fine start to the season in LaLiga, it's time to see if Los Leones can replicate that form in Europe.

Athletic are finally back on the European stage and our first destination is Rome. The Italian capital will bear witness to a clash between two iconic sides: the Lions and the Wolves.

The city of emperors and gladiators, which sits along the River Tiber and has an infinite number of historical treasures, will host 2,600 Athleticzales hungry for a victory on their first Europa League outing of the campaign.

Match Info
AS Roma vs Athletic Club

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Europa League 24/25 (League Phase Matchday 1)

Thursday September 26, 21:00 CEST

Team News
Valverde named a 24-man squad for the clash

Unai Simón, Yeray and Oihan Sancet are out due to injury.
 

 

Valverde's and Iñaki's Comments
Catch up with everything the gaffer had to say at his press conference

The Opponents

Founded in 1927, AS Roma was created from the merger Alba Audace, Fortitudo-Pro Roma and Roman FC. After finishing runners-up in the Serie A and Coppa several times in the 1930s, the Roman team's first league title came in the middle of the Second World War, in 1942.

Roma are Calcio giants who, with the exception of the 1950/51 season, have always played in the elite of Italian football. However, their golden age didn't come until the 1980s.

They won the Serie A in 1983, the Coppa in 1981, 1984 and 1986, were twice runners-up in the league, and finalists in the 1984 European Cup and the 1991 UEFA Cup. 

In more recent times, with José Mourinho in the dugout, Roma won the UEFA Conference League in 2022 and were finalists in the 2023 Europa League, losing on penalties to Jose Luis Mendilibar's Sevilla FC.

The ‘Giallorossi’ play their matches at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, at the foot of Monte Mario and on the banks of the River Tiber. The ground has a capacity of 70,634 spectators and is located next to the Foro Italico. 

Since 1953, AS Roma have shared the Stadio Olimpico with their great rivals SS Lazio. It's a historic venue that has hosted the 1960 Olympic Games, two European Championship finals (1968 and 1980) and the 1990 World Cup finals, as well as the 1977, 1984, 1996 and 2009 European Cup/Champions League finals.
 

Head coach:

Daniele De Rossi began the current campaign in charge at the Stadio Olimpico, but after a shaky start to the season, AS Roma decided to dismiss the club legend. Croatian coach Ivan Juric, who previously managed Italian sides Crotone, Genoa, Hellas Verona and Torino, has replaced De Rossi. In his first game in charge, Roma beat Udinese 3-0.
 

Standout players:

AS Roma have some of the best players in European football in their ranks. Up front, Paulo Dybala, Artem Dobvyk and Stephan El Shaarawy stand out. Captain Lorenzo Pellegrini and Leandro Paredes can be found in the midfielder while they have the likes of Bryan Cristante, Gianluca Mancini, Mats Hummels and Evan Ndicka in defence. Belgian-born Serbia international Mile Svilar normally plays in goal.
 

One-Club Men:

The 'Giallarossi' have two One-Club Men. Francesco Totti, the legendary no.10, played a total of 618 games and won one Serie A, two Coppa's and two Italian Super Cups at the club. Full-back Giacomo Losi, who played for Roma from 1954 until 1969, won two Coppas and is recognised as a One-Club Man due to having spent his entire professional career at Roma.

The eternal city
The Athleticzales will kick off this new European adventure in Italy's ancient capital.

Once the epicentre of the Roman Empire, the modern day city has a population of 2,860,000 inhabitants - 4,300,000 in its metropolitan area - and is one of the most visited places in the world.

The city's founding myth revolves around Romulus and Remus, twin brothers raised by a she-wolf (which can be seen in AS Roma's club crest), with the former fouding the city after a dispute which led to the death of his sibling.

The city has many attractions worth visiting such as: the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Roman Forum, the Palatine Hill, the Baths of Caracalla, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Square in the Vatican.
 

Previous Meetings
Athletic Club and AS Roma have never faced each other in an official match, but they have met in four friendlies. Los Leones registering one win, two draws and a defeat.

The Zurigorri lost 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico in August 1963. Thirty-five years later, Santi Ezquerro scored the only goal as Athletic won 1-0 while wearing a special edition lion jersey to celebrate their centenary.

Julen Guerrero and Gabriel Bastituta were on the scoresheet in a 1-1 draw in 2002, while we played out a 2-2 draw in Perugia during the 2019/20 pre-season.
 

How to Watch
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