It promises to be a memorable occasion on Filbert Way as Jose Mourinho’s side arrive for the first leg of the last-four tie, with both teams just two games away from the inaugural Conference League Final.
Giallorossi reached this stage of the competition by seeing off Vitesse and then Bodø/Glimt in the knockout rounds, after also finishing ahead of the Norwegian side in the group stage, topping their pool with 13 points.
Before this week’s semi-final clash begins, LCFC.com takes a closer look at the Italian club’s squad and European history…
The manager – José Mourinho
Winning a total of 25 trophies with nine clubs across the last two decades, José Mourinho is regarded as one of the most successful managers in the game. Following a short playing career at Rio Ave, Belenenses, Sesimbra and Comércio e Indústria, the now 59-year-old began coaching at the youth team of his local side Vitória Setúbal, before he was hired as an assistant at Estrela da Amadora.
The Portuguese manager’s big break arrived in 1992 when he was former England manager Bobby Robson’s translator during his time in charge of Sporting Lisbon. He remained with Robson for five years, including spells with Porto and then Barcelona.
An extensive knowledge of tactics and coaching was identified in Mourinho, who soon took on managerial duties at Benfica and União de Leiria. He drew the attention of the whole of Europe in 2004 by guiding Porto to the UEFA Champions League, knocking Manchester United out on their way to clinching the trophy, beating Monaco in the final.
Soon chosen as the man to take Chelsea forward into a new era, he was immediately in the headlines for an infamous opening press conference in which he called himself ‘The Special One’ but backed that statement up by lifting five major trophies in just over three years at the helm.
Two Serie A titles and a UEFA Champions League trophy followed with Inter Milan, before clinching the La Liga title for Real Madrid. A Chelsea return beckoned in 2013 and his third Premier League title arrived within two years. Mourinho remained in the Premier League at Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, ahead of his latest assignment back in Italy, with Roma.
Players to look out for – Familiar names from the English game
Tammy Abraham has found a new home in Italy and continues to thrive under former Chelsea manager Mourinho during his maiden season in Italian football. With 24 goals to his name across all competitions, the 24-year-old is the Club’s top scorer this term. Only four Serie A players have netted more than his 15 league goals, too. Showing his adaptability by operating as part of a front two, front three or as a lone striker, the England international is a key cog in Roma’s system, featuring in all but one of their Serie A fixtures this campaign.
Another Englishman enjoying an extended spell in the Italian game is former Manchester United centre-back Chris Smalling. Revitalising his career across the last three seasons, the 32-year-old has made 33 appearances in 2021/22, scoring four times, including once in the Europa Conference League. A hamstring injury aside, the ex-England international is a regular starter at the heart of Mourinho’s defence and another crucial member of the side, helping Roma to keep 10 clean sheets in Serie A and sit fifth in the table as things stand.
Known for his time in England, as well as a successful spell at Borussia Dortmund, ex-Manchester United and Arsenal midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan has become an integral member of Mourinho’s Roma team. Deployed in numerous different positions across the midfield, ranging from the left wing to a deeper role, the Armenian international has provided a host of goal contributions. Mkhitaryan, 33, remains Roma's second-highest assist maker this season with nine and has netted 29 goals since his arrival in the Italian capital in September 2019.
European pedigree – On the hunt for silverware
Regularly competing in Europe and considered by many to be an Italian football giant, it is somewhat surprising that Roma have never won a major European competition. Giallorossi did, however, lift the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1961 by defeating Birmingham City in the final.
Perhaps the most memorable European Cup campaign in the Club’s history, meanwhile, was their first, as Roma reached the 1984 final. Qualifying by securing their second Serie A title, Nils Liedholm’s men overcame Dynamo Berlin and Dundee United in the latter rounds of the competition before losing to Liverpool on penalties.
More recently, in 2017/18 to be precise, the Italians pulled off one of the all-time great European comebacks, overturning a 4-1 first leg deficit against five-time champions Barcelona. Emerging as 3-0 victors in the reverse fixture at Stadio Olimpico, strikes from Edin Džeko, Daniele De Rossi and Kostas Manolas - whose goal initiated a now iconic piece of commentary from Peter Drury - were enough to progress on away goals. Liverpool again proved to be Roma’s nemesis, though, this time in the semi-finals, and the hunt for a European trophy remains on four years later.