Italiano compares PSG–Bayern clash to Roma–Bologna Europa League encounter

Head coach Gasperini is regaining key players as Roma push for a Champions League finish in the closing stages of the season. Both Koné and Dovbyk are reported to be nearing their returns from injury, providing Roma with crucial reinforcements for the run-in. The availability of these players is expected to strengthen Gasperini's squad depth as the team pursues its European objectives in the final weeks of the campaign.

Roma fans are drawing painful comparisons between a penalty awarded to PSG in yesterday's match against Bayern Munich and the controversial non-penalty decision that affected Roma's Europa League final in Budapest three years ago. In the PSG-Bayern encounter, referee André Marriner consulted VAR and awarded a penalty when Alphonso Davies touched the ball with his arm in the box after deflecting it off his thigh, with the score at 2–2. The incident occurred from a Dembélé cross deep into the second half, and PSG converted the penalty to make it 3–2 before eventually winning 5–4. The decision on the field parallels Roma's experience in the 2021 Europa League final against Sevilla, where referee Anthony Taylor dismissed a clear handball by Fernando in the Roma penalty area from a Matić cross with ten minutes remaining, declining to review the incident on VAR. Roma fans have taken to social media expressing frustration, with comments such as: "Without that refereeing we would have won an epic Europa League" and "They gave this penalty to everyone except us. Truly incredible." The contrasting application of handball rules in these two similar situations has become a difficult-to-forget point of contention for the Roma fanbase.

The Friedkin Group faces a decision regarding its dual ownership of AS Roma and Everton as the season approaches its conclusion. The article indicates that UEFA regulations permit only one club under the same ownership to compete in European competitions, creating a potential conflict as both clubs pursue Europa League qualification. Roma's path to European football this season remains uncertain, with the ownership structure presenting an additional layer of complexity beyond on-field performance. Details on how the Friedkin Group plans to resolve this regulatory constraint remain unclear.