Associazione Sportiva Roma – or AS Roma as they are better known - were formed in 1927 after a merger of four small clubs in the Italian capital: Alba, Fortitudo, Pro Roma and Roman. Lazio were also asked to become part of the merger, but declined the offer. The idea, which was the brainchild of local fascist politician Italo Foschi, was to establish a powerful club that could challenge the dominant clubs of Milan and Torino.

The club’s emblem is the symbol of Rome, the she-wolf suckling twins Romulus and Remus, and the its colours are those of the city of Rome, red for imperial dignity, and gold to symbolise the city’s Christian heritage.

Based in the working-class district of Testaccio, AS Roma first made their mark on Italian football when they finished runners-up in 1930/31 behind Juventus. Backed by fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, who saw football as a good vehicle for promoting Rome as the capital of a new centralised Italy, AS Roma went on to record their first league title triumph in 1941/42.

It was the first time the Italian championship had been won by a club south of Bologna, but the win was controversial, as a bizarre last-minute own goal in a derby against Lazio went Roma’s way, causing suspicion among opposing team fans.

After World War Two, AS Roma went into decline. The nadir came when they suffered their only relegation in 1950/51. However, they were promoted the next season and established themselves as a top-half team, though rarely threatened the top four. In 1961, AS Roma won the Fairs Cup (the forerunner to the UEFA Cup) after a 4-2 victory over Birmingham City in the final to give Italy its first success in European club competition.

Coppa Italia wins in 1964, 1969, 1980 and 1981 gave the supporters some degree of success, but the fans, who traditionally hail from the inner-city areas and are left-wing, as opposed to Lazio supporters who are regarded as predominantly suburban and right-wing, had to wait until the 1982/83 season for their second Scudetto.

The 1983 team contained the brilliant Brazilian Falcao, the exciting winger Bruno Conti, top-scorer Pruzzo and the uncompromising defender Vierchowod. In 1984, AS Roma lost the European Cup final on penalties to Liverpool, though they did win another Coppa Italia.

The following years saw Roma decline in the Serie A, though there were further domestic cup wins in 1986 and 1991. The club’s third and last Scudetto came in 2000/01 when Francesco Totti inspired them to the title. Since the turn of the new millennium, AS Roma have been enjoying their finest ever period. Following the title triumph in 2001, they finished runners-up in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008, and won the Coppa Italia in both 2007 and 2008.

Among the most notable players in the club’s history are Roberto Pruzzo, Falcao, Bruno Conti and Paulo Vierchowod, all from the 1983 team, and Aldair, Cafu, Gabriel Batistuta and Vincenzo Montella from the 2001 Scudetto winning team.

However, the man widely regarded as the most important Roma player ever is the current captain Francesco Totti. A lifelong Roma fan, Totti now holds both the all-time appearance record and the all-time goal record for the club.



TITLES:
Serie A: (3)
1941-42, 1982-83, 2000-01

Coppa Italia: (9)
1963-64, 1968-69, 1979-80, 1980-81, 1983-84, 1985-86, 1990-91, 2006-07, 2007-08

Supercoppa Italiana: (2)
2000-01, 2006-07