Roma relied on a nice sequence from Nicolo Zaniolo to unlock a locked match (32nd) then on the gloves – and posts – of their goalkeeper Rui Parico to resist the Dutch after the break.

This short victory is worth a first international title for the Wolf, after two lost finals (1984 in C1, 1991 in C3), if we except the success in 1961 in the Cup of the cities of fairs, unofficial ancestor of the Europa League.

Mourinho, the European finals specialist, wins his fifth continental trophy, after his two Champions Leagues (2004 with FC Porto, 2010 with Inter Milan) and his two Europa Leagues (2003 with FC Porto, 2017 with Manchester United ).

If we count his success in the Coupe des Coupes (the defunct C2) as an assistant to FC Barcelona, ​​he even combines the four European cups.

Only the UEFA Supercup, lost three times, is denied to him.

His victory on the bench of Inter, in C1, was also the last of an Italian club on the European scene.

It will therefore have been necessary to wait twelve years and the return of the Portuguese to Italy to see a Serie A club again lift a cup in Europe.

Screen at the Stadio Olimpico

Enough to maintain the "Mourinho-mania" in force for a year at the Stadio olimpico, where several tens of thousands of Romans met on Wednesday to follow this historic victory on the big screen.

Roma players Rick Karsdorp (d) and Ainsley Maitland-Niles euphoric after the victory against Feyenoord, May 25, 2022 in Tirana Gent Shkullaku AFP

The spectators were almost half as many in the Tirana stadium (21,000 seats), too small to contain the 100,000 fans from both sides who descended on the capital of Albania.

With the key to tensions, arrests and expelled tifosi.

Tense, the final was also with a start to the match looking like a chess game, with two tight blocks, little space in front of the surfaces and total commitment.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan, established by Mourinho despite his lack of matches (absent through injury since the end of April), did not keep up the pace, victim of a relapse in the right thigh after a quarter of an hour.

Little by little, Roma took the upper hand, but Lorenzo Pellegrini initially lacked precision in the last pass.

Spinazzola to the rescue

Not Gianluca Mancini, whose opening found Nicolo Zaniolo, who opened the goal with perfect chest control before scoring with the tip of his left foot (32nd).

Roma midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo (d) has just scored the only goal in the final against Feyenoord on May 25, 2022 in Tirana Gent Shkullaku AFP

The rest was largely due to Rui Patricio's gloves and posts.

At first not very serene on an axial strike from Orkun Kökçü before the break (41st), the Portuguese goalkeeper released two decisive parries on strikes from Guus Til (47th) and especially Tyrell Malacia (50th), also saved on the two actions by its amounts!

The tone was set for a second half of a different register, with the Dutch attacking and Roma hunkering down, with the comeback Leonardo Spinazzola coming in the second half to the rescue.

Jordan Veretout (73rd), entered in place of striker Zaniolo, then Lorenzo Pellegrini (85th) could have given Mourinho some air, but they too fell on a vigilant Dutch goalkeeper Justin Bijlow.

Feyenoord striker Cyriel Dessers (d) tackled by Roma defender Roger Ibanez on May 25, 2022 in Tirana OZAN KOSE AFP

To raise his arms to the sky, the Portuguese had to wait for another long minutes of additional time.

But he holds this trophy well which allows him to finish with a nice cry of joy this season ended quite far from the Top 4 in Serie A, and even behind Lazio Rome, in 6th place.

But a small Cup changes everything.

© 2022 AFP