Udinese-Roma 1-0. Cagliari. The pride of being strong.
Udinese played better than us. Better at pressing. They were good and lucky to score the opening goal and then play with 11 men behind the ball. Referee Sacchi made a few mistakes, but Roma could have won anyway. We played poorly. We'll have to reflect on our performance and play better at the Olimpico against Cagliari. It's within our capabilities.
| 8th Matchday UEL | First Half | Second Half | Final Score | Scorers |
 | 49’Ekkelenkamp | |||
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Seb. Esposito pushes to the left side, so he'll have to be covered by Mancini and Celik, while on their right flank, Palestra acts as the fifth defender in defense but pushes forward a lot, also acting as the third striker. Our fourth left midfielder, either Wesley or Tsimikas, should cover him, but he should also double up for left-back Hermoso.
Cagliari just destroyed Verona 4-0, following the dismissal of Veronese coach Paolo Zanetti. We'll therefore face a strong team. We'll have to feel the pride of being a great team and demonstrate our capabilities on the pitch.
Regarding the political issue, first of all, I regret the beating of the policeman, but I oppose the government's political exploitation. Many government officials are saying that the problem is anti-fascism, but anti-fascism isn't just identified with troublemakers in a march; it's the founding reason for our Constitution. It was the foundation of the Resistance, which united communists, socialists, democrats, liberals, and monarchists. There's a right-wing movement in Europe—represented by the Christian Democrats in Germany, the Gaullists in France, and the Conservatives in Great Britain—that is strongly anti-fascist. Saying "the problem is anti-fascism" raises the question of whether the government's goal is fascism.
It's not a shame to be anti-fascist; on the contrary, it's a source of pride. How can we forget the Kurds who sang "Bella Ciao" on the hills of Syria and Iraq while fighting against the so-called fascist Islamic State? How can we forget the women liberated from the murderous yoke of the so-called Islamic State, who shed those terrible black blanket-like dresses to reveal pink, blue, yellow, red chadors—of every color, just as anti-fascism is of every color.
I am very happy that a negotiated solution has been found between the Syrian government and the Kurds, and on Friday in Aleppo, for the first time, at the Salahaddin Mosque, the sermon was delivered in Arabic, but also in Kurdish. "Bella Ciao" is a song of freedom. Anti-fascism does not mean violence. It does not mean communism. It is not the symbol of dictatorial regimes. But of the freedom won by Italy and the world at the expense of fascism and fascism in its various forms.
Even after a political and sporting defeat, we, as Roma fans, must always be proud of our history, of our team, which is valid, and, as anti-fascists, we must always be proud of being on the right side of history.
Daje Roma!
Giordano Sepi