And the winner is …Roma

Final: Roma1-0 Feyenoord, Roma wins the Conference League.

Nicolò Zaniolo’s goal earned Roma a first major European title in more than 60 years after a 1-0 win over Feyenoord in the Europa Conference League final in Albania, completing a unique European trophy haul for José Mourinho. The 22-year-old Zaniolo earned Roma victory with an expert finish in the 32nd minute, as he became the first Italian to score in a European final since Filippo Inzaghi against Liverpool in the 2007 Champions League.

Mourinho always wins. In spite of those who – at least tonight – snubbed the Conference League as a secondary competition, in Tirana there is a people in the throes of a collective delirium, and an unlimited happiness: Roma have won in Europe. And her return to success after 14 years of fasting (the 2008 Italian Cup) also marks the return of an Italian trophy success twelve years later. Of course, it is not the 2010 Mourinho Championships, but a small springboard from which to start again. For Rome for sure, for the Italian clubs perhaps also. The Giallorossi team takes home the second continental trophy in its history, the Conference League, after beating Feyenoord 1-0 with a goal from the rediscovered jewel Zaniolo, and to José Mourinho, yet another magic success. It is still him, the Special One who has always flirted with the Cups and now has 26 titles on the bulletin board. Including every possible trophy in Europe, including the Cup Winners’ Cup that no longer exists and which he won in 1997 as assistant coach of Barcelona. Giallorossi flags and choirs in the streets of the center where thousands of fans poured out. From the suburbs of the historic Giallorossi faith, the fans started pouring into the street just before the referee’s whistle in Tirana, by now the victory was certain. And then off to the city center for this night of victory.