In picking my AS Roma All Time XI, I have only selected players I have seen during my years watching i Giallorossi (early 90’s to the present day). During this era, there have been no shortage of outstanding players, cult figures and unsung heroes. 

Some observations worth noting are that, in my opinion at least, Roma have only had one truly top-class goalkeeper during the timeframe and almost half of my starting XI come from South America. In truth, at least two more players from that continent with such a rich footballing history could have joined them.

Looking back through Fabio Capello’s years in charge of Roma, from 1999-2004, I can’t help but feel that one major trophy (the 2001 Scudetto triumph) is a disappointing return given the array of talent the Giallorossi were able to field during this half decade. Though my self-imposed timeframe restriction means that better players than some of those below will, undoubtedly, have played for Roma, I believe my XI would be competitive against most ‘best of’ sides. 

Goalkeeper: Alisson (2016-2018)

Despite only spending two years in the Eternal City (one of which was largely passed as understudy to Wojciech Szczęsny) Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson made quite the impression with Roma. In 63 competitive games, Alisson kept 28 clean sheets and was a colossal presence during Roma’s run to the 2018 Champions League semi-final. When Liverpool signed him for €72.5 million that summer, Alisson became the world’s most expensive goalkeeper. Alisson moved to Merseyside having been crowned Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year for season 2017/18.

In my years of watching Roma, the Brazilian has, undoubtedly, been the club’s number one custodian.

Right-back: Cafu (1997-2003)

‘Did you see Cafu’s goals yesterday?’ I vividly remember this being the topic of conversation one dreary Monday morning at secondary school. The goals in question (thankfully I had seen them) were two stunning strikes from the Brazilian right-back in a Roma victory over Fiorentina in season 1999/00. From 1997-2003, Cafu – nicknamed Il Pendolino (the Express Train) made marauding runs down Roma’s right flank, while proving to be an excellent defender, too. An inductee in Roma’s Hall of Fame, Cafu was an integral part of the Giallorossi’s 2001 Scudetto-winning side.

Centre-back: Aldair (1990-2003)

Cafu’s compatriot Aldair is a fellow Roma Hall of Fame member and is widely regarded as one of the club’s all-time greats. A quiet but assured leader, Aldair had 13 seasons at the heart of Roma’s defence, making 436 appearances. Among Aldair’s many attributes, his outstanding positional awareness provided important cover when Cafu was terrorising his opponents further up the park. Due to injury, Aldair missed the second half of Roma’s 2000/01 Scudetto-winning season, but his importance to the club was never in doubt.

At the end of his final season in the Eternal City (2002/03), Aldair’s number six jersey was retired by Roma. The number was reintroduced (with Aldair’s blessing) 10 years later for Dutch signing Kevin Strootman.

Centre-back: Walter Samuel (2000-2004)

The role of Aldair’s central defensive partner was a keenly contested one in my XI, but, ultimately, it was impossible not to include Walter ‘Il Muro’ Samuel. Nicknamed ‘The Wall’, Samuel – during four years at Roma at the start of the new millennium – more than lived up to his moniker. Tough and uncompromising, the Argentinian was a nightmare opponent for strikers but the ideal man to have on your side. During five years in charge of Roma, Fabio Capello made Samuel a mainstay of his side and, alongside Aldair, he formed the foundations on which Scudetto success was built.

Left-back: Vincent Candela (1997-2005)

Another 2001 Scudetto star completes my defensive line up; at left-back Frenchman Vincent Candela is the first non-South American in my XI. Perhaps not the most celebrated player, Candela was, nevertheless, an excellent servant for the Giallorossi, making 289 appearances between 1997 and 2005. Former Roma goalkeeper Francesco Antonioli clearly enjoyed sharing the field with Candela. “Technically he was phenomenal – he had the feet of a Number 10 – but he was extraordinary in terms of his physical presence as well,” Antonioli said.

Central Midfielder: Giuseppe Giannini (1981-1996)

No Roma greatest XI could be complete without the presence of Giuseppe ‘Il Principe’ Giannini. Nicknamed ‘the Prince’ due to his elegant style of play, Giannini spent 15 years of his career with Roma. An all-action player, Giannini was every bit as comfortable playing as a ‘fantasista’ as he was being deployed as a deep-lying playmaker, and he made more than 400 appearances for the Giallorossi. Giannini was part of Roma’s 1983 Scudetto-winning side, and he won the Coppa Italia three times during his spell in the Eternal City. As a captain, number 10 and Roma bandiera, Giannini was the idol of a young Francesco Totti, who would go on to succeed ‘Il Principe’ in all of the above roles. 

Central Midfielder: Daniele De Rossi (2001-2019)

Few players have given more to the Roma cause than Daniele De Rossi. A lifelong fan of his hometown club, De Rossi dictated the play for most of the 18 years he spent in the Giallorossi’s first team squad. The combative midfielder amassed a highly impressive 616 appearances for Roma before waving a tearful goodbye in 2019.

Strong in the tackle, blessed with excellent positional sense and a terrific range of passing, De Rossi also weighed in with many important goals. At times, perhaps, he could have been accused of caring almost too much – frequent bursts of ill-discipline led to more than a few red cards – but it’s hard to think of any player embodying Romans’ strongest qualities more than De Rossi.

Central Midfielder: Emerson (2000-2004)

Between 2000 and 2004, Roma had one of their strongest-ever sides, and Brazilian midfielder Emerson was at the heart of the line-up most weeks during this era. With his graceful stride, Emerson appeared to cruise through games, but his poise and composure were matched with ferocious determination and drive. A complete midfielder, Emerson could have performed for any of the world’s top sides at the turn of the century, and he slots in perfectly beside De Rossi and Giannini in the engine room of my greatest XI.

No. 10: Francesco Totti (1992-2017)

Where do we begin? Quite simply, Francesco Totti is Roma. In a playing career that spanned 24 years, Totti’s skill, technique and vision had Roma fans spellbound by their bandiera on a weekly basis. His talismanic role in the 2001 Scudetto triumph was Totti’s finest hour domestically, but perhaps just as memorable for fans are the exquisite goals (his trademark cucchiaio chief among them) and his vast array of, at times outrageous, assists for teammates.

Considering his misfortune with injuries, Totti’s longevity and endurance as a player were remarkable; he was continually able to adapt his game to suit his body and, indeed, he played some of his finest football during the latter stage of his career. With 307 goals to his name, Totti is Roma’s top goalscorer of all time.

Forward: Antonio Cassano (2001-2006)

Antonio Cassano would be a serious contender to make this XI based on his own ability, however his telepathic understanding with Francesco Totti means his conclusion is a must. To this day, I have never seen two footballers combine to the levels Totti and Cassano achieved. In Totti’s words: ‘We spoke the same language with our feet. We could play with our eyes closed. It was like there were no other players on the field.’

Given his remarkable talent and promise – the €30 million Roma paid Bari for his services in 2001 was a world-record fee for a teenager – a strong case could be made for Cassano being Italy’s greatest underachiever of the modern era. But for large spells of the five years he spent in the Eternal City, Cassano’s wizardry with the football bordered on genius. Other forwards have been more prolific, but there’s no way I can leave Cassano out my XI.

Forward: Eden Dzeko (2016-2021)

In a forward line with Totti and Cassano, there’s a good chance Eden Dzeko won’t see a lot of the ball, but when he does, you can rest assured it’s going to end up in the net. When Dzeko arrived in Rome from Manchester City in 2015, he was widely known to European football fans as a ‘super sub’. However, at Roma he was simply super. The Bosnian was Roma’s top scorer in four of his six seasons at the club and his 119 goals (from 260 games) mean he is the Giallorossi’s third top goalscorer of all time.

Italians use the term ‘bomber’ to describe a top striker; during his time with the Giallorossi, Dzeko certainly left a trail of destruction in his wake.

Well, there you have it, my All Time AS Roma XI. From the colossal Alisson minding the nets to the Totti-Cassano show at the other end of the park, it’s a team packed full of talent. 

How would this side fare on a matchday? Well, one thing is certain: it would not be quiet. That Roma would score, there can be little doubt. Would De Rossi and Cassano keep cool heads? That’s less clear. However, with my charges scoring at least once, I’d be confident of Samuel and Aldair keeping things in check at the back.

Article Update, 4th August 2022

The author updated their XI to slot next to the other All Time XIs as part of this TGU series. This XI is selected from all of AS Roma’s history.

Goalkeeper: Franco Tancredi (1977-1990)

Any greatest XI needs to start with a solid presence between the posts and, with 383 Roma appearances under his belt, Franco Tancredi fits the bill. The shot-stopper spent 13 seasons with the Giallorossi and was a key member of the club’s 1983 Scudetto-winning side. Known for his speed, Tancredi would often race out of his goal to thwart opposition strikers. He also had great agility and any Tancredi ‘best of’ reel contains a string of spectacular stops. Tancredi made a remarkable 258 consecutive Serie A appearances between 1980 and 1989 and lined up for the Giallorossi in their 1984 European Cup final defeat to Liverpool at the Stadio Olimpico.

Right-back: Cafu

As original article

Centre-back: Aldair

As original article

Centre-back: Giacomo Losi (1955-1967)

The ‘Heart of Rome’ Giacomo Losi is a natural choice to join Aldair in the centre of defence. Losi spent his full professional career – from 1955 to 1969 – with the Giallorossi and, having played 450 games, he was the club’s record appearance holder until Francesco Totti played his 451^st match in 2007. Although not a Rome native (Losi was born in the Province of Cremona) his ‘Heart of Rome’ moniker speaks volumes for the regard in which Losi was held in the Eternal City. A club legend.

Left-back: Vincent Candela

As original article

Midfielder: Giuseppe Giannini

As original article

Midfielder: Daniele De Rossi

As original article

Midfielder: Agostino Di Bartelomei (1972-1984)

In his role as playmaker, Agostino Di Bartelomei was the orchestrator of Roma’s 1983 Scudetto triumph. A highly accomplished player, Di Bartelomei joined the Giallorossi’s youth set up at the age of 14 and was part of the first team squad for 12 years. Combining energy, elegance and technical ability, Di Bartelomei was a complete midfielder. Like De Rossi, he also had an eye for goal, scoring 69 times in 310 appearances for Roma. 

Di Bartelomei is regarded by many as Italy’s greatest player never to have been capped by the national side.

Midfielder: Bruno Conti (1973-1991)

The presence of Bruno Conti ensures that the right-hand-side of my Greatest XI is going to be turbo-charged. What Conti lacked in height and physique he more than made up for in speed, skill and determination. Although left-footed, Conti was normally deployed as a right winger, and he could also play centrally as an attacking midfielder. Conti’s dynamism was a key component in Roma’s 1983 Scudetto triumph. A year earlier, he featured in every match for the national side as Italy won the World Cup in Spain. By the end of his playing career in 1991, Conti had made 402 appearances for the Giallorossi, scoring 47 times.

Forward: Francesco Totti

As original article

Forward: Roberto Pruzzo (1978-1988)

Thanks goodness for YouTube. If it wasn’t for the video-streaming platform, I’m unlikely ever to have seen Roberto Pruzzo’s last-gasp overhead kick equaliser for Roma against Juventus in 1983. This was one of 138 goals Pruzzo scored in the yellow and red of Roma, and he is behind only Francesco Totti in the club’s all-time leading goalscorers’ list. Michel Platini (who scored for Juventus in the aforementioned match) had the following to say of Pruzzo: “A top striker, powerful, great in the air and capable of scoring wonderful goals. You could write a book about him.” If somebody has done so, I would like to read it.