Manuela Giuliano: The Queen in the Middle

(Full Version) #2318

Shorter Parts Are Available 1–8

Manuela Giuliano is coming off back-to-back League titles with the Roma ladies including a league double last season conquering the Copa Italia and She has quickly established herself as the unquestionable best player in Italian football, along with one of the best players in the world. The 27-year-old was at the center of Roma’s dominance last season. She was awarded the Player of the Season. She has proven domestically and in Europe to be one of the most elite playmakers in the game today. However, the one thing that has always eluded her given the credit on a global scale that she has justified with her level of play. The recognition hasn’t necessarily come with the things she has achieved and the impressive skill set that she has. One would be more than fair to assume that with her overall resume and her status among one of the world’s best midfielders, it would come with recognition, flowers, and praise. While some of it could be drawn down to the lack of respect for the Italian women’s league. Even that argument falls on its face because there are elite players on at least most of the top teams and some up-and-coming players throughout the mid section of Italy. An Italian player you would think would be significantly more qualified to be nominated for the big things than some of the players in the NWSL who also seem to get nominated for things ahead of those more deserving. NWSL has some decent talents there but the competition they face would not be from a standpoint of great strength. The number of top 10 top 15 top 20 players is small the likes of Trinity Rodman or Sophia Smith would face in the US is very small. it’s a bigger number than perhaps before, but it remains a significantly small number. Many of the best players in Italy have a strong argument for the top 20 in the world. Italy for a large part has been overlooked by many things. Manuela Giuliano has had historic moments in Italy and in the Champions League the same competition that a lot of the top nominees for Ballon d’Or have made their claim. Although Italy possesses top-level talents such as Girelli, and Valentina Giacinti, among a few other names, Italy has never received recognition or a nomination for the prestigious award. However, that’s until now. Manuela Giuliano last season had 19 goals and 11 assists. she also led them to two trophies. She was the centerpiece of one of the best attacking sides in recent memory with her partners in crime Valentina Giacinti and Evelyn Viens. The team collectively scored over 100 goals. She wore the armband for many matches last season before this season officially taking over as Captain after Bartoli left for Inter Milan. She’s a very special player that has never gotten the recognition that she deserves. However, that all changed On a Tuesday night Manuela Giuliano was heading to a team dinner in the evening. She got a phone call revealing that she had been nominated for the 2024 Ballon d’Or. A historic event not only for Roma and the women’s game but also for Italian football. She becomes the first Italian player to ever be nominated. While Carolina Graham Hansen & Bonmati are the heavy favorites to win the award. Manuela Giuliano’s involvement is certainly a tremendous honor. Not only for the attacking midfielder but also For the historical significance of this. Despite Italy having many top players who have the resumes and the seasons to warrant a nomination, Manuela Giuliano has become the first. She’s at least involved and to a degree is getting the respect she deserves by the inclusion. Manuela Giuliano may finish near the bottom of the 30 names listed on the shortlist. In reality, she should be in the top 15. Nevertheless, the recognition is still being placed on Roma’s newly appointed captain. The holder of five trophies in the Italian Top flight over the last five seasons. This not only remarks an individual honor for Giuliano but is also a sign of progress and growth in the Italian women’s game. However, this isn’t simply about the nomination It also highlights and brings the attention to one of the most underrated GEMS in world football This isn’t purely about the nomination. It’s about the road traveled from being let go by AC Milan to a two-time league winner and a Ballon d’Or nominated Midfielder the exceptional Roma captain Manuela Giuliano as Italy’s finally given its flowers on the world stage. This is the story of A meteoric rise to the Ballon d’Or. She is the Queen in the Middle.

From Milan to Roma First Wave Additions

Manuela Giuliano was a part of the first wave of additions. Several critical arrivals came between 2019 and 2020. Roma still had some established individual players such as Anna Serturni, Bonfantini, Bartoli & Allison Sawabi. before these arrivals took place, it was Roma’s first season in the Top flight of Italian football. They hadn’t established themselves as anything other than a building squad. They were not on the radar of Juventus or Sassuolo who were the dominant sides at that particular time. It was a team trying to build in the right direction. However, there weren’t big ambitions being targeted by Roma. It would have been a rather unconventional and unrealistic approach to have. although they did fairly well the year before, Roma ended up finishing fourth in the league the season they made the big changes. Betty Bavagnoli was in charge at the time. Nowadays, she’s more known for the work she has done upstairs as a director and putting this team together rather than the management side. However, She was the first manager to take the reins at Roma. She was heavily involved in many of the acquisitions and arrivals that ended up coming into the team. In 2019 they had a very active summer as they brought in a number of players essentially reshaping the squad as they were trying to assess how they were going to approach building Roma over the next couple of years. those additions included Andressa Alves came in from Barcelona. She ended up being a very critical piece to Roma for many years as she still ranks high up in many statistical categories having won A title and a Copa Italia. Before she left the club to go to the Houston Dash before last season. Angelica Soffia came from Verona. She played a couple of seasons being a part of the Copa Italia triumph. Adrine Hegerberg from PSG another a part of the Copa Italia victory, Lindsay Thomas came from PSG was one of Roma’s most valuable attacking players for a stretch, Pamela Lazaro coming from Fiorentina held the record for the highest goal-scoring total in a season with two seasons back to back with 10 plus goals. She left last year after winning the title and the Copa Italia with Roma, Amalie Thestrup came in from Denmark. That leaves the last three from the stretch of arrivals. the only two that remain from the first wave. Roma’s starting goalkeeper Camilla Caesar she has been Roma’s number one for the last 5 years, Elena Linari came in from France Roma’s scoring center back one of the key parts of the Roma defense then obviously Manuela Giuliano one of Roma’s most important players over the last couple of seasons. All three of them have been a part of two League titles two Copa Italia’s and a Super Cup along with a quarterfinal in the Champions League. Both Camellia Caesar and Manuela Giuliano arrived from AC Milan. Even though only three of them remained from the recruits and additions they made. It turned out to be incredibly important. I suppose this is more about building the monster of Roma more than Manuela Guiliano in particular. However, she is one of the only three players left from the first wave of signings. Manuela Giuliano kind of bounced around. She made her true breakthrough at Verona but also spent time with Brescia Winning the Super Cup before having a small stint at AC Milan ultimately making the move to Roma. All the additions they made between 2019 and 2020 turned out to be extremely important. While not all of them remain each one of them has significant importance. Practically every single name I referenced was a part of the club’s first trophy. Not to mention Glionna arrived in 2021 and has been incredibly an important piece. She also Still remains to this day in a different role than she initially had when she came in. However, the overarching point is each of them made a level of impact. Whether it was as a first-team regular a star player or a depth piece off the Bench. There were more than just that though there were others that I don’t remember off the top of my head, but that also came in and made a difference. Manuela Giuliano ultimately became a superstar, however, her initial arrival was just as they were putting the club together. The club itself had only been in existence for one season before she came in along with many others. She now wears the armband and is a top 15 player in the world. however, the first wave of additions is extremely important because of the direction the club took and the years following those three seeds. She was a part of the team that won the first trophy in 2020, she was a part of the first team to win the title in 2021–2022 she was a part of the team when they won their first back-to-back title in 2023, she was a part of the team that made the Champions League for the first time. She was a part of the first quarterfinal in 2022. It took her a while to get on the radar globally but she’s done it now. However, the first wave of the additions can’t be overlooked her being part of that first group makes her incredibly experienced and it can easily explain the rise that she has taken. not only Manuela Giuliano but also Camille Caesar, Limari & even though she came a little later Gilonna Roma has been more aggressive and more aggressive and each of the summers following those first two seasons. They have reached every landmark and every objective they have battled through. However, she’s not some player who just blossomed into a superstar overnight. She went through the right of passives passage being a part of it from the very beginning and now having met all the marks she arrives in this iconic moment with a Ballon d’Or nomination that first wave of additions played a big role in all of us because the team had very little identity or plan until they started putting the pieces together. She wasn’t the highest-rated acquisition at that time, but she came in during that first summer and never left as she blossomed into one of the world’s best.

Regular Starter & The Copa Italia

Manuela Giuliano time as the Roma project was more about being in the center of growth and becoming a more relevant side in Italian football. That turned out to be exactly what occurred. However, it was a shorter amount of time it required than anyone really could have anticipated beforehand. She only appeared in 13 games that first season. However, she understood that she was growing into Roma and needed to find her footing. I highly doubt she went into that situation. expecting to be vocal immediately. It did grow quickly and she became important before we all knew it. However, that first season wasn’t about that. It was about developing. That’s what she did She scored twice to give her the right amount of confidence for the next season. Betty Bavagnoli guided them to a fourth-place finish again. Roma did reasonably well that season but still found huge difficulties against the upper echelons of Italian football. Roma did reasonably well that season but still found huge difficulties against the upper echelons of Italian football. During her second season, she appeared at the vortex much more regularly. She wasn’t a regular starter as of yet, but as the season went on she got more and more opportunities to participate in the starting lineup. She made 10 more appearances racking up 23 in all competitions. While doing this, she became a much more regular occurrence on the national team. In addition to what she was doing clubside. She took a next step forward racking up four goals and two assists. However, by the end of the season she was starting pretty regularly. Roma did take a step back in some degree as they finished 5th that season. The season, however, turned out to be historic for what they did in the Copa Italia. Manuela Giuliano was a big part of the success they had in the cup. Again, she wasn’t the center part of it but she still played her role. Roma marched through into the semi-final of the Copa Italia. They clashed with Juventus over two legs. Before that, they had never beaten Juventus in the league. They lost both other meetings. However, In the Copa Italia somehow they managed to pull it out of their hat. They beat Juventus narrowly in the first life before, despite losing in the second leg ended up winning over the two legs to punch their ticket into the final against AC Milan. In the final Manuela Giuliano played 120 minutes It ended up being goalless. It forced a penalty shootout. Manuela Giuliano was selected to be the first penalty taker an awful lot of pressure for someone that just became a regular starter that season. Camellia Caesar ended up being the hero stopping a couple of penalties as Roma conquered their first trophy in club history. Manuel Giuliano was a rotational piece that contributed however having the confidence to sink the first penalty played a huge role in all of it. Roma pulled off a historic moment for the lady’s side. Manuel Giuliano played a role in all of it.

Breakthrough Season: New Era Spugna and A Title Race

Betty Bavagnoli had done a terrific job during the inception of the Roma ladies’ side. She brought them to their first-ever trophy and had them in the top half of the table each of her three seasons in charge. In those 3 years, Roma finished 4th, 4th, and 5th with her final season ending with a Copa Italia triumph. However, despite the success that she had in those three seasons, she was ready to step away, preparing to take on a brand-new role. She resigned as the manager After winning the final. However, her involvement still was going to be very much with Roma. After The season it was announced that she was going to become a director of football for Roma. She was going to be responsible for picking her replacement as well as giving them the tools to take Roma the next step forward. There was one primary name on the list. Alessandro Spugna Empoli’s Boss. Before not too long he was named the manager. Betty believed that he was going to take them to the next step forward and a title race wasn’t completely out of the question. Manuela Giuliano was about to head into her third season. She took a step forward in each of the last two seasons. However, in her third season Not only was she going to break through but she was going to capitalize on the opportunity. Spagna did not see her as a rotation player. Manuela Giuliano went straight into the starting lineup from the first match of the season until the end. Title contention wasn’t necessarily on the cards but it was still something that this new Roma was going to want to approach. He brought in significant players to upgrade the squad outside of what they already had available. They pulled off a swap deal between Glionna and Bonfantini with Juventus looking at it now, it seemed an unusual idea to try to orchestrate a deal between Juventus and Roma. However, the previous season Roma finished in 4th. It wasn’t clear that Roma was a serious threat to Juventus by the end of that season. They would soon realize that they were coming. however, before that there no reason to suspect that is a possibility. They hadn’t even finished in the top three in any of those previous seasons. It ended up being a very well-orchestrated deal for both sides looking back at it now, Roma probably had the better of the deal considering Bonfantini was loaned 2 years after her arrival. Glionna had played under Spugna when she was on Empoli She also had won the Golden Girl award given to the best under-23 player in the women’s game. Possessing another who had won the same award Giada Greggi. There were a few other additions here and there with the other notable one being Lucia Di Guglielmo. However, again, this is primarily about Manuela Giuliano. That season the purpose was to qualify for the Champions League to do that they needed to finish second. It was a tall task but with Manuela Giuliano in the middle, it became very obvious that Roma was more than capable of achieving it. They still customarily lost to Juventus early in the season, but during the second half of the campaign, they started to put themselves in the title race even if it was a low probability. In January, Roma struck with Emile Haavi someone critical in each of the last couple of seasons along with Sophie Roman Haug someone who turned out to be very important even though she eventually departed later. Roma responded with a couple of gems here particularly Haavi someone that was great from the beginning. Now they had along with Alves, Lazaro, and Giuliano the making of something significant. Manuela Giuliano turned out her best season as of yet four goals and eight assists that season. She became integral to the part by the end of that season practically everyone agreed that she was one of the best playmakers in Italian football. She took a huge jump and became an elite player. Now she wasn’t at that global level as of yet but it was coming. Roma missed out on the title by four Points. They met Juventus in the Copa Italia final and yet their struggles with them continued as they fell short. However, Spugna not only had created a dynamic team with high qualities with new additions that had contributed in less than half a season but Manuela Giuliano had become one of the best players in the league along with a dangerous attack, a potent defense, and a consistent goalkeeper. The title hadn’t happened yet but they qualified for the Champions League and they pushed Juventus only missing out by five Points. Spugna had turned this team into Juventus’s biggest threat with Manuela Giuglano ending up with 4 goals and 8 assists contributing being a huge part of it.

Troubles with Juventus and the New Format

Manuela Giuliano played a starring role in Roma’s attempted title charge. She broke through in a big way and was starting to become one of the best players in the league but furthermore, one of the best playmakers. Before their title charge, there was no reason to believe that. Roma even with some of the new changes would be a serious threat to the throne that Juventus was sitting on. Spugna did end up putting together A surprising title charge even though they came up short. The previous three seasons they finished 4th, 4th, and 5th to then catapult themselves from that place to only five Points from the title was a big jump to make. Juventus didn’t need to think about Rama, but they did now. That title charge boiled down to Roma’s inability to beat Juventus not even just consistently like at all. The best result they had gotten over the recent years was a draw. Even with the queen in the middle Manuela Giuliano and some of the other attack talents such as Alves, Haavi, Lazaro, Haug, and others, they couldn’t crack the code. Their failure to get more points against Juventus ended up being their downfall that past season. They fell five Points from getting their hands on a title, even if it wasn’t their primary objective of that season. It turned out to be a bit of a surprise. It’s hard to imagine anybody going into that campaign feeling that Roma was going to jump up and grab the title. The point of that season was qualifying for the Champions League something they accomplished. However, being that close to Juventus stung because a few different results could have drastically changed the complexion of the next season. They lost two games earlier in the season to Inter and Milan. Beyond that, they went on an incredible unbeaten run throughout the entire season. In fact, they did not lose to a non-Juventus team for the next year. The following season it was a very similar formula. Roma ended up practically unbeaten against the vast majority of Italian football. Juventus was the one hiccup they needed to get over. It seemed as if they couldn’t find a way to do it. Everybody was aware of that was the one thing that was going to stop them from winning a title. They had to find a way to tame the beast. While player for player Roma probably had a comparable side if not better at that time. The matches against Juventus stung them. The question became whether or not it was going to be enough to derail a potential title. Could they win against the rest and still win the title even if Juventus still have their number? That was something they clearly needed to figure out with Manuela Giuliano, having already broken through the scene and now developing herself into one of the best players in Italian football. They were going to propose a bigger threat than before. However, it did seem to still be the one thing that was standing in their way in hopes of trying to pour cold water on Roma. The next season it would be much more than that. They would have to juggle the Champions League and The league title too. However, this time Roma wasn’t going to sneak up on them. Juventus was going to be prepared for it. Hoping to withstand, Manuela, Giuliano, and Roma for what turned out to be a very important following Season. The title formula was going to be slightly different the following season with Roma’s troubles dealing with Juventus, the question was going to be. Will the new format positively or negatively affect this matchup? Instead of playing Juventus twice in the league Roma and Juventus, they we’re going to meet four times. That’s a completely different dynamic for what they were going to have to deal with in regards to it. In the new format, there would only be 10 teams in the league. The first phase of the league was going to be 18 matches. The team that finished on top wasn’t yet the champion. Their points would carry over to the next phase referred to as the championship round. The top five teams in the league would play each other twice. The bottom five in the league would do the same. So in all likelihood, Juventus and Roma were going to have to play twice as many times as before. Given Roma’s recent difficulties against Juventus, the next season was expected to test them in a significant way. There was a level playing field now heading into that new season. However, the format very well could have changed an awful lot. The point still standing Juventus has historically given Roma troubles. Those matchups were probably going to highly determine which of them was going to win the title.

Big Arrivals: Valentina Giacinti Signs

Roma was in reach of possibly an improbable title this season before. They also went back to the Copa Italia final disappointingly losing to Juventus. It wasn’t tension necessarily but a rivalry was starting to blossom in women’s Italian football. Roma still needed to catch the ghost that is Juventus. Spagna heavily believed in the project and that they could get that much closer. Manuela Giuliano was at the center of the project, but even with the attacking talents they had and the other contributing midfielders. They didn’t quite have enough in his eyes. Roma went hyper-aggressive in the transfer market to try to close that Gap before hopefully putting Juventus in their place. This was going to be a much more complex Season needing to juggle both the Champions League and the league. Spugna swung big. On a personal level Manuela Giuliano obviously being heavily involved with the plans of attack, her leadership abilities had been on full display per the first couple of seasons in Rome. Before the 2022 2023 season, she was named vice Captain to Bartoli. She played well in the World Cup back in 2021 As she continued to develop into one of the best playmakers in Italy. She also showed a level of leadership which is why she was rewarded with the vice captain. The 2022 2023 season turned out to be historic. Spagna brought in Moeki Minami from Red Stars in Japan. The young center-back was expected to contribute heavily. That wasn’t necessarily a huge acquisition, but it turned out to be an important one. There were several new additions however Spugna made two massive splashes. Carina Wenninger arrived on loan from Bayern Munich. She was a three-time League winner in Bavaria. At that time before she left only Thomas Muller had been at Bayern Munich longer. She came in as the captain of Austria with 100+ appearances having played in the Champions League A huge refutation surrounding her. It was a 1-year rental, but it turned out to be one of the best deals of the summer. She ended up being one of the best center-backs in the league that season. However, the gigantic masterstroke was the arrival of one of the most historic scores in women’s Italian football. Valentina Giacinti. When she signed for Roma she had over 200 goals in her career. She was on the short list of names that would be considered the best player in the league. Adding more firepower was only going to make Roma that much more dangerous, especially up front. Up to that moment, the most goals any Roma player had scored in a season was 12 by Lazaro That record was going to fall before we knew it. Valentina‘ arrival certainly was going to play a big role and trying to chase down Juventus and win the club’s first-ever title. Also worth mentioning she has Champions League experience and could be a help to Roma in that degree. Building Roma into a serious threat to Juventus was the purpose of that summer and they brought in two huge additions, including another one under the radar with what they brought in, they were prepared and ready to take down Juventus once and for all. We can bring this back To Manuela Giuliano again. She was already probably a top 5 to 10 player in the league and now Spagna just delivered her a gift in attack. Not only was this going to make Roma a huge threat, but it was the perfect set of ingredients for The Queen in the middle.

Objectives & Champions League qualifying

Manuela Giuliano had come into Roma to develop not only herself into a special player, but to be part of making Roma a special team. She had already helped them lift their first-ever trophy Winning the Copa Italia and on top of that scored the first penalty in the shootout. A Very courageous moment As I said previously. However, everything that She had done and continues to do was going to lead up to the very moment that season kicked off. Although the ambitions and objectives of that season could not have been more clear. The scope of that turned out to be much more than anyone had realized. It didn’t happen overnight. The success that occurred had been perfected due to countless decisions made individually by Giuliano herself as well as the experience she had with the national team. Then outside of that the collective the choices that were made by Betty when she stepped down to become a director. The appointment of Spugna the title race from the year before the additions were brought in and everything put together. It seemed as if they had a perfect mix of the right ingredients and the right pieces to make the Roma title a reality. Roma fans hadn’t been able to celebrate a league title, men or women since May 17th, 2001. even if Rome desperately wants the men to deliver if the Roma women would be able to pull this off, it still would be a historic moment for the city. They had already gone through the tribulations and the difficulties of trying to make the Champions League and win the first trophy. Both of these things were accomplished over the next 10 months what they were after and the perception and what that was were completely different things. The narrative was that they were fighting for their first title, which is technically true. However, Roma individuals had a broader point of view. Not only did they want to win the league, they had their eyes on the Copa Italia. They had their eyes on a Champions League knockout stage. They had their eyes on throughout taking the dynasty of Juventus and pulling it towards Roma. The long-term ambition was to become a top 10 team in the world. They were unlikely to achieve this after their first season, but the surprising success that We all saw was they very well making a strong case for themselves by the end of it. Manuela Giuliano played a big role in this. She may not get the flowers or the credit that she may have deserved because all the eyes and the attention would go to Valentina Giacinti The big acquisition from the summer. However, Manuel Giuliano continued to show the qualities that she possesses. Even against the very best the world has to offer. It seemed to be a team of destiny from the very beginning. Before the league season even began, Roma was tested on the three sets for the occasions on their way to qualifying for the group stage of the Champions League. In the first qualifying round, They beat Glasgow City in a single-game elimination they took a 3–1 victory. Valentina Giacinti assisted on her debut. They were kept goalless in a draw in the second round against Paris FC. Thanks to heroics from Camellia Caesar, they won on penalties. Manuela Giuliano this time kicked last in what was the winning kick to send them through into the playoff round. They would battle with Sparta Prague over two legs. Haavi Scored in stoppage time As Roma scored twice in the last 15 minutes to come from behind and beat them in the Czech Republic. Manuela Giuliano, I remember instinctively having a dominating performance in the middle as she often pushed the counter-attacking situations from the center of the park. When they returned home They blew them out in a 4–1 victory with Carina and Mokei Miamai scoring their first goals for the club. They got through some pretty hectic throwdowns at the start of the season and the Champions League they were drawn with two-time Champions League winners Wolfsburg, the neighbors of Sparta Prague Slavic Prague, and Austrian side SKN St. Pölten.

Rolling Through the First Portion of the Season

Roma from the very beginning proved that they have something a little bit different. The addition to Valentina Giacinti In the attack that already featured Haavi, Andressa Alves, Lazaro, Anna Serturni & Glionna Absolutely exploded. The reinforcements Roma also made in the back line proved to be deadly and difficult to handle. Not to mention, the entirety of the team was run through the queen in the middle. Manuela Giuliano took an even bigger step forward and was the centerpiece of everything that Roma did that season. She still found some difficulties and some bits of adversity. however, collectively as a group from the very first portion of the season, it looked like they were about to explode very few with any in Italian football had the complexity and capabilities to deal with or even hang with Roma. They were especially dangerous and not just because of their overall quality, not because they had the best midfielder in the league, not because they had the best Striker in the league, not because they had the best center back in the league, not because they had the best goalkeeper in the league, not because they had the best coach in the league. All those things are very unique and if you have those resources and you have those sorts of things going for you, the possibility of winning a title is going to be strong. However, that’s not why they were the best. It’s one of the reasons they were the best they had the best in multiple positions. They didn’t miss a beat against non-juventus opponents. They ran through that first half of the season like it was nothing. It wasn’t perfect but it was as close to perfect as one could get. through the first 18 games of the season in the league they scored 43 goals and only conceded 12. They were just as dangerous as Juventus attacking-wise and had a better defense than they did. They picked off team after team after team. The goal of individual numbers that Midfield and Attack put up was jarring, to say the least. Manuela Giuliano is the center of that. Perhaps she wasn’t the best player that particular season, but she wasn’t far off of it. What made Roma so incredible is they always found a little Gap or a little moment to pull away and capitalize on it. They had multiple games In which They took advantage supplying second-half heroics. I remember a couple of key games during the season that Roma actually fell behind. The following season. Roma rarely fell behind, but in that first charge of this new wave Roma, they displayed a level of incredible play. They came back to beat Fiorentina’s drought at the death against Sassuolo and scored a free-kick winner against Lazio in the derby. outclassing top-level teams such as Inter Milan, and AC Milan. The more comfortable they became, the more dominant they were. Sooner rather than later. They started opening up an aerial assault against the same teams that they tussled with everything worked right. Everything clicked unfortunately the only thing they couldn’t click once again was taking down Juventus. Manuela Giuliano may have been at the center of that. Even her being the key point of this Roma team particularly feeding the monsters in the attack. She got a red card against Juventus in the first meeting. It was a very fortunate situation for Juventus as that result was just Lady Luck. It was a harsh red card to begin with and then they got a bit of luck with their opening goal. In the second meeting against Juventus Juventus cut right through them in a six-goal Thriller but they never were behind. Juventus still posed some problems. However, Roma ran the table against everyone else. They played 18 matches in the first half of the season in the regular season they ended up with 16 wins, zero draws, and two losses both losses coming from Juventus. Valentina Giacinti In the league alone ended up with 13 goals and four assists, Alves ended up with 12 goals and one assist and Haavi was a very underrated part of it with 6 goals and seven assists. Then Manuela Giuliano took another step forward in the league with six goals and three assists. Every player mentioned here scored more goals across all competitions, but just in the league to put up those types of numbers from your key players is absolutely astounding. This highlights the way they sawed through the competition. Juventus is the only team that beat them and sometimes they had to come back yet. They proved to be second-half warriors when things got a little rusty. They always found a way to pull through. This. put a lot of pressure on Juventus to handle their business at an extremely high level because any drop points were going to be a big problem because Roma was not losing to anybody else. Juventus was the only team that could take points off of Roma. The only one forcing Juventus to be almost perfect to put themselves in a proper position to win the title again. In the regular season. Roma was on 48 points and Juventus was on 40 Juventus was left with their tail between their legs. mathematically still involved and intertwined in the title race but with only eight matches remaining in the regular season, Juventus needed everything to go their way to even have a shot. Their best chance to chase Roma was going to be in the Copa Italia the league title they were turned over even though they beat them twice because they didn’t lose to anybody else because that Roma side, especially during that First title was unconscionable to deal with. They position themselves extremely well. They only needed A couple of wins to kick Juventus off the throne.

First Champions League Campaign

Roma was cruising through the league they were on Pace to win the league title at the end of the season. They were heavily expected to do so with a big lead before the second portion of the season would begin. Manuela Giuliano certainly had played a part in all of that in addition to Valentina Giacinti As she was hitting historical goal-scoring marks in her first season in Rome. Along with a loaded squad from top to bottom with one of the best coaches in Europe. The European aspect was expected to be very interesting. The previous season the entire purpose of the campaign was more or less about qualifying for the Champions League for the first time. more than anything else. They ended up on the doorstep of a title and perhaps if one or two results had gone differently, they very well could have won something significant. All of what they did the previous season was leading up to the Champions League campaign the first they’ve ever experienced. Although Manuela Giuliano played for AC Milan, that occasionally was in the Champions League. it was going to be her first experience of Champions League football. Even though the majority of the Champions League campaign had taken place during the season, The experience that the Roma ladies had in Europe turned out to be a very memorable one. As I had already laid out earlier, Roma had to go through Glasgow City, Paris FC, and the qualifying rounds, and then Sparta Prague in the playoff over the two legs. Roma earned the right to be a part of the group stage. As I had mentioned before, their opponents in the group stage would be two-time Champions League winners German Giants Wolfsburg, Czech Republic side Slavic Prague, and St. Pölten from Austria. Ahead of their European campaign Only Valentina Giacinti, Andressa Alves, Haavi, and perhaps a few others had experience in the Champions League. It was a brand new world for these Romans including Manuela Giuliano after having her breakout season the season prior, she went into stardom during the season and now was going to have a chance to prove herself at the very best against the best. during the Champions League group stage, Roma’s difference Maker was Valentina Giacinti She galvanized on top of her experience proving to be a huge threat. Their first-ever match in the Champions League was at home against Sparta Prague. They had played their neighbors down the road Slavic Prague. Roma managed to take care of business A second-half strike from Valentina Giacinti made the difference as Roma won their first-ever match in the Champions League a truly historic moment. Next up was the big test against Wolfsburg. Roma continued to lean on Valentina Giacinti As she made it two goals out of two she cut open Wolfsburg inside of 3 minutes inevitably the German Giants fought back However, to the surprise of many, they held firm earning a massive draw At home. putting them in a good position. Four points out of the first two matches. Manuela Giuliano hadn’t found the back of the net yet, but it felt as if it would come sooner rather than later. The next time out it was in Austria against St. Pölten. It turned out to be an incredibly memorable evening. The Austrians took a two-goal lead before Roma managed to erase it. Roma scored four goals in the last 15 minutes starting with Linari 2 minutes later Valentina Giacinti then 3 minutes after that. Manuela Giuliano scored her first goal in the Champions League before Lazaro killed it and what turned out to be a seven-goal thriller. Roma ended up winning They were expected to win so perhaps It shouldn’t have required as much heavy lifting but they did get there in the end. However, they proved to be able to battle through adversity in a 4–3 victory. They then had to play Wolfsburg again this time in Germany. Let’s just say Roma did not have the best experience. Wolfsburg ran out to a two-goal lead before Alves nipped the advantage in the first half. Wolfsburg poured twice more running out to a three-goal lead before Haug scored a consolation goal in what was a six-goal Thriller in defeat. However, seven points through three matches is not too shabby, especially for a team that has never played in the Champions League. They then hosted St Pollen At home in Rome. Manuel Giuliano’s Best performance of the Champions League scored twice 2 minutes from each other bagging a brace in the Champions League continuing to be a standout for Roma that season. They then put three past Sparta Prague in Rome as Roma ended up with 10 points finishing second in the group. Unfortunately, finishing second in the group would have its consequences. They had to clash in the quarterfinals against Champions League favorites Barcelona. They played Barcelona in the quarterfinals before the second portion of the season as they wrapped up the title. It was a special occasion as They would play the first leg of the quarterfinals at the Stadio Olimpico where Roma’s men’s team plays. It was very emotional, particularly for those who had been at the club for many years. They weren’t expected to do anything, however, they did have their chances. a late goal in the first half gave Barcelona the victory, however Barcelona at that time was the best team in the world. yet they held them to just a goal at home. The second leg showed their dominance as they ripped off a 5–0 victory at the camp Nou. They lost 6'1 on aggregate. however, for their first season to take a draw with Wolfsburg a top three team in the world to get out of the group, and to hold Barcelona to just a goal at home, it was a positive performance and experience for the club’s first ever Champions League. Valentina Giacinti ended up with five Champions League goals leading the team. However, the second was Manuela Giuliano as she scored three goals all against the Austrians but nevertheless, the midfielder who hadn’t quite become the goal scorer that we know now was one of the team’s best players during the campaign. it ended rather ungloriously with a route in the end However, Roma undoubtedly made a step forward.

Wrapping Up the First Title

After getting ousted by Barcelona in the Champions League quarterfinals. Roma redirected their attention to closing down on their title. They went into the second portion of the season. Still holding an eight-point advantage remember Juventus was the only team that Roma lost to during the first part of the season. Winning against the rest again would almost guarantee the title even if they were to lose to Juventus twice in the championship round. Roma’s opponents during the championship round would be Fiorentina, Inter, Juventus & AC Milan. Against those very teams, Roma collected 18 out of 24 points. There was a growing confidence in their ability to close the deal in the championship round and win the title. Manuela Giuliano was very much at the center of everything. She may not have had the best numbers across the board, however, with what Rama could offer in the midfield with Greggi beside her and then in the attack with Haavi, Valentina Giacinti & Andressa Alves been very Stout defensively with one of the league’s best goalkeepers. The title was going to sit on their doorstep eventually, it would have taken a seismic collapse for that. not to be the case. However, before the championship round began Roma had to deal with the Copa Italia semi-final. They ended up with a little bit of adversity from a team not named Juventus before the second half of the season beginning they brought in. Vicky Losada from Manchester City to be a part of a late push for the title. They suffered a 1–0 defeat to AC Milan in the first leg of the Copa Italia semifinal. It was somewhat surprising in the second leg it looked like AC Milan was going to finish the job. Piemonte scored the first goal in the second leg as well as she did in the first. This put Roma in a two-goal hole. However, miraculously Roma managed to come back from dead. Andressa Alves got Roma back within distance with an equalizer at the end of the first half. Valentina Giacinti continued to be a superstar in attack as she leveled The tie late in the second half before. Vicky Losada killed it off as the new signing won it at the death-in-stoppage time to knock out AC Milan coming back from a two-goal deficit at a point to punch their ticket into the final against Juventus again. A League double was sitting on the table for them. It was unclear how everything was going to transpire but certainly Roma would at least collect one trophy shortly after the championship around the second portion of the season would begin. this was the inception of this. the first season in which this was the format. Roma would play Juventus, AC, Milan, Inter, Milan, and Fiorentina all twice through the next eight matches, Roma had the opportunity to mathematically clinch the title in the last three matches If all goes well. Their first match of the championship round was against Fiorentina. Manuela Giuliano scored on that night but she was not the only one as Roma rolled through them. Valentina Giacinti scored twice Wenninger scored another and Glionna added another. It was a 5–1 victory to start the second phase of the season sending a huge message then nothing will stop them from their title. AC Milan came next and turned out to be a 3–1 victory with goals from Linari, Haavi & Glionna. As they were cruising toward it. They then took on Inter Milan and absolutely smashed them to pieces It turned out to be a 6–1 victory Haavi twice Glionna twice Valentina Giacinti & Andressa Alves also added one a piece. Manuela Giuliano had a lot to do with many of the goals scored. In that match. She was the second-highest-rated player on the pitch. This set the much-anticipated clash with Juventus. Roma with the victory would be able to officially clinch the title the next week against Fiorentina. Roma had failed to beat Juventus all season. They haven’t had success beating Juventus other than in the Copa Italia the year before but in the league, they had no victories against Juventus in the last few seasons. it was going to take a lot and it did. Bonansea struck first for Juventus. It was immediately replied by Alves Juventus retook the lead with Caruso. Then Valentina Giacinti again proved to be a huge star for Roma and a huge difference score. The Equalizer was a half hour to go. In the dying moments of the match, a ball comes across the top It is fed by Manuel Giuliano to Haavi it the attacking areas. Haavi then unleashes An iconic cross from the right wing into the box. Sophie Haug Got her head on the end of it driving it into the back of the net as she falls to the floor. Roma finally did it. They beat Juventus at the death to stretch out their lead with the possibility of winning the title the very next game. In a nutshell, Sophie Haug on the back of her head won the title for Roma. It hadn’t been mathematically sorted out yet but essentially it did. That header won Roma their first-ever title. Sophie had a very productive season that year, however, she became an unlikely hearer as her header settled everything. As expected the next week Greggi & Bartoli scored to officially crown Roma as Champions. Manuela Giuliano had her fingerprints All over that first title. She’s not the only one that made an impact. However, even though in the broader sense, this is about the rise of Roma but also highlights Manuela Giuliano specifically. She came into Roma, started to develop her first few seasons broke through the year before, and became one of the best midfielders in the league the next year. Everyone played their role in it, but Manuela Giuliano was a huge part of it and there’s no looking past that. They played out a 2–2 draw with AC Milan as Alves converted a late penalty to avoid defeat for Roma. They almost lost again the following week against Inter Milan. As Roma came from behind again as Sophie Haug scored yet another winner It was celebration time in Rome as they were finally going to lift their title. They celebrated the road they traveled to finally get to it. It would be the first title Roma have won Since 2001. Now this may be a smaller deal in the grand scheme of things if and when the Roma men win the title. However, it is still a Roma League title. The final match day of The championship around was at Juventus. They gave Roma the Guard of Honor after they won the title. They have successfully pushed Juventus off the throne. However Juventus Ran riot during the final match day of the season. Roma suffered a 5–2 defeat, however, it didn’t truly matter becuase they had won the title. unfortunately, Juventus beat Roma at the death in the Copa Italia final as Roma was beat in the final for the second consecutive season. however, despite that. Roma had been crowned Champions and what was a truly dominating season. Roma finished a whopping 13 points in front of Juventus. Throughout the entire season, they ended up with 22 wins, one draw, and three losses. All three losses came against Juventus. In 27 games they only lost to one team. In all competitions through 46 matches. Roma ended up with 37 wins, four draws, and six losses a dominating campaign to say the least 104 goals scored over those 46 matches. Valentina Giacinti Hit high marks that season with the highest goals going campaign in club history with 20 goals. her arrival making a big influence on the title. Alves had her highest goal-scoring total with Roma with 14 goals Haavi added 10 goals with seven assists. Sophie Haug ended with eight goals in three assists. Roma had had the best defense. Camellia Caesar was one of the best goalkeepers and so on. However, as much as this is about Roma collectively and their success of dominance This is this entire story is surrounding Manuela Giuliano. The Italian midfielder was named into the team of the season just with many of her Roma teammates. She ended the first title with nine goals and three assists. three Champions League goals in her first campaign to go with what was a truly terrific season. Valentina Giacinti gets the credit and the praise and rightfully so. However, without Manuela Giuliano that season, Roma do not hit the marks that they did. collectively that first title will be remembered for multiple things. However, the header from Sophie Haug against Juventus was the most signifying moment of that entire season. Manuela Giuliano had continually developed through each season. She’s been at Roma. However, she wasn’t surprising anybody anymore. She was without question the best playmaker in the league and one of the best players In Europe, even if she was flying under the radar. Manuel Giuliano went into that Season as the vice Captain while putting together a masterful campaign that led to the first title. Manuel Giuliano and Roma weren’t satisfied yet though. They were just getting warmed up as she had her eyes on a second consecutive title.

Saki Kumagai: Making a Big Splash

After winning the title, Roma felt the need to beef up their squad to make them an even bigger threat than they were. The previous season Juventus was going to upgrade their squad and try to take back the throne. Roma very much maintaining their crown was incredibly important to them. They needed to find a way to make some noise in the market to tighten their strength ahead of the new season with their eyes on back-to-back titles. Pamela Lazaro Left Roma the previous January to join Parma. She eventually departed Parma to join Napoli before the start of the new season. She was incredibly important to the inception of Roma and became one of the more critical pieces in the building of the champion. She had back-to-back seasons with 10 plus goals before the season before She had the most goals ever in a single season. She racked up 20-plus goals in 2 and 1/2 seasons. She wasn’t going to be a part of it anymore. Wenninger decided to retire at the end of the season. Now that deal certainly appears as a master stroke a one-year loan. They won the title and then she retired. Vicki Losada went back to England to join Brighton. Then Liverpool backed up the bank for Sophie Haug As she also went to England. So essentially there were some absentees and roles to fill. Roma wanted to be aggressive and bring in The necessary reinforcements to make Roma a much more difficult proposition. They made a splash very early on. Midfielder Saki Kumagai arrived from Bayern Munich. She is a top 20 player of all time and one of the most decorated midfielders in history with nine League titles and five Champions Leagues. She also scored the crucial penalty in the 2015 Champions League final and the 2013 World Cup. Massive experience In the Champions League and has won everything. This was one of the biggest moves of the summer as Roma wanted to make it extremely clear that they were going to ensure that no one takes them off the throne. They brought in some depth pieces such as Laura Feiersinger from, Frankfurt, Bárbara Latorre, Martina Tomaselli from Sassuolo, Oihane Valdezate from Athletic Bilbao, Eseosa Aigbogun from, Paris FC. Roma did a good job putting their squad together. However, Roma then made another Big splash right before the start of the season. They brought in Evelyn Viens from Kristianstad As the Canadian World Cup star has delivered three consecutive seasons with 10-plus goals. Her arrival probably inevitably was going to mean the departure of an attacking piece at some point. However, Roma now had a lethal attack and added one of the best midfielders of all time who has won everything added depth at Midfield and defensive positions, and still has the vast majority of the team that won them the title. If Roma’s summer proved anything, The message it was sending is that Roma means business The vast majority was under the impression that Roma had one of the best teams in the world certainly the best team in Italy here However, although there were high expectations, no one could have foreseen the historic standards that were about to come in the coming months more particularly Manuela Giuliano was about to embark on hey, season with historic implications individually as Roma’s number 10 was about to take it up to a whole other level.

Manuela Giuliano Became an Attacking Threat

Roma wasn’t completely able to run it back with the same team. The possibility of winning a title. Another one was still on the radar as they would be the favorites for the next campaign to do it again. Despite losing to Juventus on three different occasions, they won the title by a whopping 14-point margin. The reality of the situation is that had Roma managed to figure out how to beat Juventus consistently They would have possibly gone unbeaten throughout the entire season. It goes even deeper than that. Roma barely drew any games at any point last season in the league. Roma was essentially a stacked death. They drew two games the entire season. Both occurred in the championship round against Inter Milan and AC Milan outside of that there were two options. Victory or losing to Juventus. Roma was still far and away the best team in Italian football. However, even the Champions were going to have to deal with a bit of shake-up. They still had the mentality and the squad to win the title again. In fact, overall they were probably better than the season before. However, a big Domino would fall. This would change dramatically Manuela Giuliano and her role as she would adapt in a totally different type of way as they would aim To retain their title. In the late part of the summer, Andressa Alves Would complete a move to the NWSL as she would sign for the Houston Dash. The Brazilian scored 14 goals on their way to their first title. Only Valentina Giacinti scored more than the previous season. Historically, Alves is in the top three on Roma’s all-time scoring list. She has been every bit part of Roma‘s meteoric rise to becoming the Juggernaut that they are today. Her departure was a tough one to swallow. Sophie Haug As I said earlier, also left as Roma pocketed 100K in the deal. Sophie’s header against Juventus won them the title. It was a huge moment. Not to mention she played really well in the championship round. In a span of a couple of months, both Alves and Sophie Haug would be gone. This is part of the reason why Roma added Evelyn Viens At the start of the next season, late in the summer. Roma undoubtedly still a favorites, but two key players walked away. These moves indirectly affected Manuela Giuliano. Roma’s Queen in the middle had already established herself as one of the best players in Italy. Even though Haavi was named the Player of the Season. Manuela Giuliano has been a very valuable piece that Roma have built around. She moved into star status last season before she took that next step. The departures of the Brazilian and the Norwegian played a big part in it. Manuela Giuliano during the previous season when they won the title did manage to put together a very formidable season in terms of goal-scoring output with nine goals that season. However, with the absentees Roma was leaving 21 goals off the table. Evelyn Viens ended up being a slam dunk and absolutely delivered that. However, the manner of these events changed. Manuela Giuliano into a more attacking piece. The vast majority of the previous season, although she occasionally went forward to score goals. She operated primarily in the central area. What was to come was rather unexpected. As we know she got a very unique nomination at the end of the season without the departures that were made, it’s hard to imagine. Manuela Giuliano would have caught the attention of the globe the way she did had not transpired. Manuel Giuliano for many years has been one of the very best midfielders on the planet. However, she hasn’t been given the credit or flowers that she deserves for her performances. That being said, the Gap was there for Manuela Giuliano to have a historic season. In the current day, Manuela Giuliano is unquestionably the best player in Italian football. Ahead of the 2023–2024 season, she was top five but she hadn’t exactly established herself as the number one as of yet. That season would be historic. She contributed and was the centerpiece of an attack that orchestrated outrageous numbers across the board from their attacking pieces. Their front three became a front four. Manuela Giuliano being at the center of all of it.

Historic Dominance: Roma 51 of 54 Points

Roma’s entire summer had a very particular purpose. The names and the type of players they brought brought in weren’t some sort of coincidence. While what Roma did in the summer upgraded their squad in many ways. It was certainly expected to enhance the possibility of Roma retaining their title and possibly taking one step further and finally grabbing the Copa Italia. However, Roma have had one thorn in their side in particular, the entire time they’ve risen through the ranks of Italian football and became Champion. Even though Roma took the title last season by a whopping 14 points. No one was really on their level from start to finish of that season. There’s no question about that. However, Roma collectively as a group had a different desire in mind in addition to all The objectives that had been set for that season. There was still one Boulder to pushover to get through Winning the title again. It was going to be difficult enough in itself. However, even after the trophies they collected last season, the facts remain the same. Roma against Juventus won twice out of six times. In the league, they won one out of four. For whatever reason, Juventus continued to be a thorn in their side. Roma at that time had a substantially better team. however, they kept falling short against Juventus. That was the primary objective of the summer. The personnel and the types of acquisitions that Roma made on one hand were designed to enhance possibly another Champions League run, but on the other, it was very much having to do with bringing in the right pieces to make Juventus a much easier proposition against the rest of the league Roma probably wasn’t going to have too many issues. Roma would have gone unbeaten the previous season had it not been for the losses to Juventus the direction they were driving was Not only to win the league but to make sure that they can finally figure out Juventus once and for all. Roma once again had to ensure their place in the Champions League with a Champions League playoff round right before the kickoff of the season. Manuela Giuliano displayed her attacking Talent in her more attacking-centric role delivered as they took down Vorskla In the Champions League. They ended up rolling through the Ukrainians 9–1 on aggregate A 3–0 victory in the first leg followed by a 6–1 victory in the second leg. Roma’s New attack seemed as if they did not miss a beat from the year before despite some of the departures. Valentina Giacinti continues to be one of the most dangerous strikers in Europe as she continues to repeatedly find the back of the net. The new girl on the block Evelyn Viens also showed her scoring boots early on. Once they got through the Champions League qualifying, they would be prepared to defend their crown. In the opener, they dealt with some adversity. they were cruising at one point holding a two-goal advantage. however, AC Milan battled back to level it only for Roma to power through them and finish the job. Ever since That first match, they were on a mission as they were showing a true master class of domination. The additions of Saki Kumagai & Evelyn Viens proved to be very important as they now had the materials and the tools to beat Juventus. On the third match day of the season, They clashed their horns with Juventus. Not counting the Copa Italia semi-final from a few seasons prior and the victory they took in the playoff round. they hadn’t beat Juventus. That’s been the big thing them not being able to do it consistently. Manuela Giuliano was at the center of everything so much more so than the year before. She turned out to be A complete attacking midfielder who sits at a table all by herself in Italy. She was the anchor of the team. and the wake she contributed to The attack was a chef’s kiss. Along with that, she allowed freedom to the attacking player Valentina Giacinti already with a reputation is one of the league’s most potent scores. However, Evelyn Viens took to Italian football like a fish to water. That’s not to underline the contributions of Haavi As she took personal sacrifice and became a dangerous facilitator while contributing a little less in the goals-scoring department, but it all clicked with the Midfield and the defensive quality. Juventus didn’t know what hit them. In that third game of the season. Roma beat them comfortably with a 3–1 victory. It was an Open your eyes moment. Juventus had difficulties against Roma in a way they hadn’t before. It would only kick-start Roma’s dominance as they continued to rip through opponents. It was result after result after result after result. Spugna had opened Pandora’s box and unleashed a monster. Everyone knew the capabilities of the attacking pieces that they had, but now all of a sudden with a snap of the fingers. Manuela Giuliano was not only one of the league’s best playmakers but all of a sudden became one of the most dangerous goal scorers. she had never hit double figures in a season since she was at Verona. At Roma that season she was going to hit it and blow the door off. as the weeks and months went on. Manuela Giuliano from the goals-scoring perspective. It wasn’t always a walk in the park for Roma. Sometimes they rely on late goals in many matches At times. However, even when they were played close they always found a way to get through the obstacle. The only teams in the league that seemed to give them a bit of trouble at times were Inter Milan and Fiorentina. Roma put together a huge winning streak in Italian football. 12 consecutive on the bounce. 12 up 12 down for Roma. They were crushing everyone. However, They suffered a couple of losses in the Champions League to PSG. Then they fell to Juventus in the Super Cup. While it wasn’t technically in the league, it uneased the situation so much so that they barely beat the bottom feeder. then they lost to Napoli in the first leg of the Copa Italia quarterfinal before also being beaten by Inter. So they had to deal with some adversity to a degree with five losses in a span of not that many games of course that’s all competitions Roma still only had one loss in the league and was cruising through and building a big gap between themselves and the rest of the pack. Manuela Giuliano continued to be the star of the show. both of Roma’s attackers were in double figures while Roma’s number 10 in the middle was putting together a ridiculous campaign just as they approached the halfway point of the season. Roma did a little bit of business in the transfer market in January they brought in highly-rated Swiss Talent Aaliyah Pilgrim. Eventually, They started clicking yet again. Not only were they incredible in attack, they had the best defense in the league and the Midfield was so dynamic. Roma collectively was hitting historic goal-scoring numbers. the front three alone were so vicious Manuela Giuliano, Valentina Giacinti, and Evelyn Viens All had 10 plus goals to their name. meanwhile, Evelyn was the top scorer in the league leading the charts. despite all that positivity, there was still a little bit of heartbreak as Anna Serturni Left for Inter Milan after spending the better part of 5 years at Roma treatment resistance was the club’s top score for many years before Valentina ultimately pushed herself in front. Roma met up with Juventus again. Manuel Giuliano scored the first goal and Roma cruised to three points again with another 3–1 victory. Roma, for the second consecutive season, was leaving Juventus in the dust. however, this time they were able to beat them on more than one occasion. They then overturned the Napoli deficit to push themselves back into the Copa Italia semifinals. Roma did not lose again for the rest of the season. Very late in the first part of the season, Roma beat Sassuolo 3–0 Valentina Giacinti scored her 200th goal in Serie A. As Roma were so close to another title, they could taste it They also got through AC Milan in the Copa Italia semifinal seven two on aggregate, but as we all remember it, it was the introduction to a Pilgrim in Italian football as Roma’s January signing starred over those two legs. They will play Fiorentina in the final after the playoff. Manuel Giuliano hadn’t just perfected from the previous season but she had gotten that much better. She was running away with the player of the season as Roma had the most deadly attack in the world. Roma ended up with the same point difference from this same spot last season. As Roma had an eight-point advantage in front of Juventus before the second portion of the season. Roma ended the first part of the season with 17 wins, zero draws, and one Loth. Over this stretch, they had the number one attack in the league with 51 goals while only conceding 11. The other teams competing in the championship round consist of Juventus, Inter Milan, Fiorentina & Sassuolo. Manuel, Giuliano, and Roma arrived at that moment on the verge of a back-to-back title with Roma‘s. Queen in the middle having been the most effective player this season, the playoff and the Copa Italia only remain to put together a nearly perfect season, not only for Roma but for Manuela Giuliano.

Champions League Challenges

During Roma’s first title, Manuela Giuliano scored on three occasions as Roma in their first-ever campaign in Europe. ended up making the quarterfinals of the Champions League. it was a bit of a surprise for an inexperienced side to do so well. this run included a draw against Wolfsburg, One of the best teams in the world. Roma was hoping to recreate a similar type of performance in Europe. The season before they had decent luck of the draw despite being grouped with Wolfsburg, the rest of their group-stage opponents were quite winnable. However, last season it was a bit different and more complicated. As the Champions League campaign this time around having its obstacles. Roma ended up in the group death. As they were grouped with France powerhouse PSG German Giants Bayern Munich and Dutch Giants Ajax. PSG and Bayern Munich are the second-best teams in their respective league with Lyon and Wolfsburg historically being the more dominant forces. However, it is worth noting that Bayern Munich did actually win the league the year before. meanwhile, PSG finished second in France. Ajax obviously won the Dutch League ague this season before. This group featured three teams that would be considered in the top 15 teams in the world and an Ajax team with strong promise. There was going to be some level of difficulty. Even though there was somewhat of a pathway for qualifications, it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. This put an extra amount of pressure on the likes of Manuela Giuliano who had been the driving force of Roma all season along with the flooded attack with Valentina Giacinti and Evelyn Viens. In their opening match of the Champions League group stage against Bayern Munich, They were hit in the face immediately. Bayern Munich in Germany opened up a two-goal deficit against Roma. Roma in their own right are one of the best teams in the world, at least in the top 15. However, Bayern Munich certainly gave them trouble. Damnjanović cut Roma open early and then they took advantage of an own goal by Linari to take a two-goal lead in the first half. However, a horrible start turned into a historic Champions League comeback. Evelyn Viens cashed in in the second half To minimize the deficit. Then at the death, the queen in the middle delivered A 90th minute Equalizer as Manuel Giuliano called her shot in Munich to take a point from Bayern after being two goals in the hole. Roma went head-to-head with one of the best teams and came out of it with a point. Even though Roma would have preferred to take maximum points, it was a pretty remarkable start to the campaign after pulling off the big comeback with Manuela Giuliano being at the center of it as she has been the center of many results that season. In the Champions League home opener against Ajax Roma made light work of the Dutch. Valentina Giacinti delivered her brace and then Manuela Giuliano again found herself on the score sheet continuing to be an elite scorer that season. Manuel Giuliano had already matched her Champions League goals from last season with the goal against Ajax being her third. They then went to an intimidating environment in PSG. The women’s team plays in the Parc des Princes The same as the men’s team. They also have Ultras and crazy fans making the atmosphere intimidating. things went pretty well at the start. However, PSG capitalized with two goals and two minutes at the end of the first half Geyoro from the spot then Katoto A minute later to open up a two-goal lead. In the second half. Manuel Giuliano had an opportunity to narrow the deficit, but unfortunately in a rare low moment for Roma’s number 10 was stopped by the goalkeeper making the big save. Valentina Giacinti eventually scored later on, but PSG managed to hold Roma as they took a 2–1 defeat. Through the first three games, all four teams were within range of qualifying. They played PSG again at home but did struggle with the Paris-based side again. Chawinga,Katoto, and Albert scored PSG ran out to a three-goal lead. Manuela Giuliano At the end scored A devastating free kick for her fourth Champions League goal of the season, but it was only a pure consolation as they tasted back-to-back losses. Their second to last match of the group stage ended up being quite controversial against Bayern Munich at home Valentina Giacinti opened the scoring before Leah Schuler scored an equalizer. After that, it looked like Manuela Giuliano had scored the winner in the 93rd minute only for Leah Schuler to score again in the 97th minute. However, on the last goal, Elena Linari Is pulled down from the back in the lead-up to the goal. It truly should have been called a foul before. Leah Schuler scored her goal. Roma perhaps should have done better in the two games against PSG, but that group was so incredibly close that being missed-called greatly affected their position. with that being said They then fell to Ajax 2-1 had that not happened, perhaps they still could have qualified, but the no-call against Bayern Munich certainly could have made a huge difference in the long run. unfortunately, Roma’s Champions League campaign didn’t go past the group stage given the controversy as well as the difficulty of being in the group of death. Manuel Giuliano ended up with five Champions League goals in eight matches. Valentina Giacinti had the same. Both of them ended up in the top five of the Champions League goal scorers that season. It is particularly impressive because it was over a stretch of eight matches. The failure in the Champions League did contribute to a small skid during Roma season that I had mentioned earlier. so had the Champions League run gone a little smoother. Perhaps Roma could have collected even more points. Roma nearly missed out by just one point. if anything, though it proved that Roma is on that level that they can compete with some of the best teams in the world. if Roma didn’t have the capabilities to handle those moments, they would have been beaten more easily and would have looked out of place in a group of that strength. but what turned out happening is they looked on the same level as all of those teams. In the two Champions League campaigns that Roma have had. Manuel Giuliano had scored eight goals. Manuel Giuliano In 18 games in the Champions League has scored eight goals. Not a bad goal total as over the last two seasons in Europe. She has continually proved that she’s one of the best sooner rather than later. that credit on a larger scale would come.

Crazy Ending: League Double

Roma’s First part of the season was historic dominance. They ran through the entirety of the league and only on one occasion had they come up short In the first 18 games. 17 wins and just one loss. Roma was positioned extremely well to rip off back-to-back titles. The Additions that Roma made in the summer not only help them beat Juventus two times out of a possible three in all competitions up to that point but also made them That much more difficult to deal with. The loss that they took to enter Milan seemed to be more connected to their back-to-back losses against PSG and their Champions League controversy over Bayern Munich than anything else. It took the sizzle out of Roma a little bit and perhaps that contributed to why Inter Milan managed to beat them They were one result away from being perfect. This time in the league. they beat Juventus twice on both times quite comfortably. So in a parallel universe, they would have gone unbeaten in the first portion of the season. Not only that, another Copa Italia appearance seems to be potentially on the cards for Roma. Before the start of the playoff. Roma had to deal with that in a Copa Italia semifinal against AC Milan. Roma had beaten AC Milan in the semi-final a season prior and beat them in the final 2 years before that. This wasn’t exactly An uncommon matchup to witness in the Copa Italia semifinal. In the first leg, AC Milan played Roma close, however, late dramatics occurred as Haavi scored the winner and then Aaliyah Pilgrim scored her first goal for Roma as Roma took a 2–0 lead in the semi-final. in the second leg, it was a bit more one-sided. Haavi scored first finding the back of the net in back-to-back matches. Lucia Di Guglielmo doubles the advantage. then in the second half. Manuela Giuliano added another to her historic season. running out to a three-goal lead. AC. Milan would score twice in 5 minutes to narrow it before. Laura Feiersinger and Evelyn Viens added two in stoppage time. They ultimately prevailed 7–2 on aggregate As they made the final for the Fourth consecutive season. Unfortunately, Roma has won only One of the last three. however, a chance for a league double again is on the table for Roma. Fiorentina beat Juventus in the other semi-final as the final will be Fiorentina against Roma at the end of the playoff. The first match of their playoff started against Sassuolo Manuela Giuliano delivered a brace then Valentina Giacinti scored another and what was a very easy 3–0 victory. They then would battle with Inter for the first time since their loss to them in mid-season. Saki Kumagai grabbed an early goal before Bonfantini hit The Equalizer. It looked like it was just going to be a point exchange but in the 89th minute, Troelsgaard struck a late winner. Then Roma had to play Juventus for the fifth time That season. They had won three out of the previous four. Roma’s ability to beat Juventus was what made the season so successful and it wasn’t going to change there. Aaliyah Pilgrim scored her first League goal Girelli got the Equalizer before Evelyn Viens delivered an incredible solo run with 5 minutes to go as Roma beat Juventus yet again. Their third victory in the league that season against them. This set up the possibility of mathematically clinching the title against Fiorentina however, it was a goalless draw as they would have to wait one more week to officially be Champions. Against Sassuolo For the second time In the playoffs. What looked like a very routine situation became one of the craziest matches of the entire season. Roma ripped through them through the first 20 minutes. Valentina Giacinti scored it twice before the 15th minute Manuela Giuliano delivered another one in the 19th minute Clelland Got one back before Glionna scored in the 47th minute. Roma ran out to a 4–1 lead. Sabatino would minimize the deficit. Evelyn Viens brought it back to 5–2 lead. Then from the 75th to the 77th minute, Sassuolo scored three goals making it 5–5. before Feiersinger killed it off with 10 minutes to go and what it ended up. being a 6'5 victory you could not have asked for more dramatics than that. Roma mathematically after the victory wrapped up the title as they had officially gone back-to-back. The next week against Inter Milan the madness would continue with another Thriller. Evelyn Viens struck first Inter Milan capitalized off of an own goal making it 1–1 Magull took the lead for Inter only for Saki Kumagai To level it again 2–2 then Bonfantini gave enter a 3–2 lead in the second half only to be slashed as Evelyn Viens bagged a goal in the 75th minute before Valentina Giacinti delivered it in the 80th minute in what was a 4–3 victory. This would follow up with the last match between Roma and Juventus this season. Roma were already champions as they were given the Guard of Honor just as they were the week before. Juventus finally delivered it though, even though Evelyn Viens scored for the third consecutive game Juventus ended up with a 3–1 victory However, it didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things as Roma had beaten Juventus Three out of the previous five matches. Roma also won the title and had a good chance to win the Copa Italia. meanwhile, Juventus ended the season trophyless For the first time In the past 5 years. Roma now with two matches remaining both against Fiorentina the final match of the season and then the Copa Italia final in the dress rehearsal of the Copa Italia final Roma ran through Fiorentina. Minami scored first followed by Troelsgaard, and Valentina Giacinti twice then Evelyn Viens made it goals in four straight matches in what was a 5–0 victory. they win the title and celebrate it as they secure back-to-back. they crushed Fiorentina however, there were plenty of reasons to believe that when they played them again in a week, it would be far more difficult. The Copa Italia final turned out to be an absolute Thriller. Hammarlund gave Fiorentina an early lead through 11 minutes. Roma delivered a response with Valentina Giacinti bagging The Equalizer. Janogy scored to make it a 2–1 lead for Fiorentina then they scored again as Janogy opened up a 3–1 lead against the champions. Roma should have been dead in the water but no Manuel Giuliano lead side was going to go down without a fight. Minami Got a goal back shortly afterward. Then in the 90th minute, Evelyn Viens made it goals in five straight matches forcing it to penalties. Once again. despite the circumstances, Manuel Giuliano a big part of it with three assists in the final. It would go to penalties. Giugliano Again would step up first just like she did in 20 20. She delivered the penalty with no hesitation. Camellia Caesar then denies Agard. Linari & Cinotti Both score. Sønstevold Is denied then Fiorentina takes the lead with Boquete. Longo and Valdezate Both sink their penalties. then in a dramatic set of circumstances, Severini Is stopped by Camellia Caesar. then the crucial penalty is drilled by Troelsgaard As her penalty delivers a league double. Roma wins The League title and the Copa Italia. Roma through 26 matches ended up with 23 wins One draw and two losses ending on 70 points. 11 points clear of Juventus. They scored 74 goals in the league while only conceding 24. Evelyn Viens ended up as the top goal scorer in the league while Manuela Giuliano was named player of the season as Roma has shown over the last two seasons that there is a shift in power towards the capital.

Player Of The Season/Historic Attack: 111 Goals in 50 Games

Roma's attack during their first title was a forced to be reckoned with. They had a lot at their disposal with incredible capabilities in the attacking area. Haavi was named player of the Season. Valentina Giacinti broke the season record for the most goals in club history with 20. Alves added another 14 and Manuela Giuliano ended up with nine goals from Midfield. It felt as if it was going to be particularly difficult to Top what they did the season before. League title and ended up scoring as a group 70 plus goals. That is a very vicious attack. However, last season they took it to another level an unconscionable level bordering on historic during Roma's first title although Manuela Giuliano played a huge role being at the center of it to a degree. Valentina Giacinti was the star of the show and rightfully so. However, last season it ended up evolving a bit differently. although certain sacrifices need to be made, the attacking pieces thrive on a whole different type of level. they nearly took the maximum points during the regular season. then even after that, They didn't leave very many points off the table. Of the possible 78 points available. They took 70, only two losses and two draws away from Total perfection. Although no one was expecting them to pull it off, the level of dominance that they displayed was far superior to the season before when they won the title by 14 points. Although last season it was only an 11-point difference rather than 14. They were so much more dangerous this past season than before. Manuela Giuliano ended up winning the player of the season In what was a more or less unanimous decision. This past season, she wasn't just the best player in Italy. she was one of the best players in Europe. 19 goals and 15 assists. She was the queen in the middle. However, she had more than her share of help. although she was the best player this season, her counterparts have been nothing short of spectacular. Last season Andressa Alves left the club to go to the United States. she scored 14 goals last season. Sophie Haug Left to go to Liverpool for 100k in her own right Not only was responsible for the header that gave him the title but also 10 goal involvements. Valentina Giacinti had a historic season in her own right. surpassed 300 career goals including 200 Serie A Goals Last season. Roma's Italian goal poacher had a really strong case to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or herself As she delivered an 18 goal seven assist season more goal contributions than she had the season before. she was tied with Manuela Giuliano for a top-five goal scorer in the Champions League last year. Canadian star Evelyn Viens came in to be the direct replacement For Andressa Alves. She filled the shoes and then some She tallied 17 goals and six assists last season. She scored in every single match against Juventus. She also ended the season scoring in five consecutive games One of those goals was in the Copa Italia final in the 90th minute to send it into penalties. Alves had been at Roma for many years and had been extremely important, but regardless she filled the shoes very quickly. That's not to mention Haavi took a decreased roll and she made a sacrifice for the team. however, she still ended up with five goals and seven assists last season. then in Midfield, we saw incredible contributions from Greggi & Saki Kumagai The Japanese International is one of the most decorated players in history and she added another two trophies to her resume now having one 10 League titles. from a defensive perspective, they were elite with the back line they have. even though Roma took some injuries in that area, they still managed to have the best defense in the league as well as a goal-scoring center back in Elena Linari scoring eight goals last season which was the highest of any defensive player in Europe and not to mention Camellia Caesar probably the best goalkeeper in the league. The entire team participated in what was a historic attack. They scored 111 goals in 50 games absolutely outrageous numbers. Even though Manuela Giuliano ended up winning the player of the season and rightfully so as a group, they were devastated and historic. The front three alone. Evelyn Viens, Valentina Giacinti, and Manuela Giuliano those three by themselves contributed to 82 goals That rounds up to 73% of the team's goals. It's unclear what will happen during the coming season, but I doubt we'll see an attack anytime soon that had the success of this one.

Totti 's Number and Becoming Dybala of the Ladies

There are many unique things about Manuela Giuliano. Not only is this latest recognition well overdue and deserved but she also finds herself in a very unique and specific situation. She holds an honor that no Roma player has had Since 2016. Manuel Giuliano understands the incredible importance and gratitude of the number that she wears on her back. The number 10 has been forbidden to be used For practically anyone that wears the colors of Roma. the number 10 used to belong to Francesco Totti The king of Rome. One of the greatest Italian players to ever exist and a footballing legend. The best player Roma not only ever had but have ever produced He is a product of Roma Born and raised in Rome.grew up a Roma fan and became the club’s greatest ever player while refusing to leave spending the better part of 25 years with the club. He would never play for another club. he is an icon and a symbol of the city. there’s a reason that no player has ever worn his number on their back. however, Manuela Giuliano has the opportunity the privilege of wearing the number 10. She knows as much as anyone how much that means and the importance of that. She’s the only player that has worn number 10 since his retirement. While the Roma women’s team and men’s team may not have the same rules and perhaps she was given the number 10. On coincidence she carries the legacy of him every single time she puts that Jersey over her. However, although the number 10 is so special based on what she’s done and the player she’s become perhaps it’s warranted but every time she wears the number 10 she takes the responsibility and now she not only wears his shirt. but also where is the armband at Roma. She’s putting together a resume that could see her end as the club’s greatest ever player on the women’s side. however, is not the only Roma player that she has been drawn to. She has a certain affinity to Argentine attacker Paulo dybala. The Argentine had a bit of a turnaround himself when he turned down Saudi Arabia to stay at Roma. 3 years ago Paulo Dybala joined Roma for free from Juventus. In some ways she is the dybala of the women’s team. although in the hierarchy of the league, the women’s side over the last 3 years has been the dominating Force She still has the extra bit of importance When Roma needs a moment and needs to fight through adversity more times than not. Manuela Giuliano is somehow correlated or involved with it. She is arguably the most valuable player in all of Italian football She also happens to be the best player in the league. However, it is quite relatable to dybala who for the last 2 years and even before that with Juventus has been one of the most valuable players in the league, the impact and influence he’s able to make on the rest of his team not to mention his individual performances have been particularly unique. Manuela Giuliano is not only a huge fan of the Argentine playmaker but she also identifies with him as they have similarities. While Dybala happens to be more of a Winger than an attacking midfielder, the adaptability and the versatility of the two are quite similar. However, for Giuliano it goes deeper than that. 3 years ago he arrived in Rome ever since then She also emotes dybala every time she scores a goal. She celebrates the exact same way with what has been referred to as the Dybala mask. It is the celebration that Dybala has always done putting his thumb and index finger around his face. Every time she scores she does exactly the same in many ways not only does she identify but she is dybala for the ladies team. It is only done in a form of flattery. While the two of them may not have a ton of regular contact other than in passing Dybala Is a fan of hers. The two of them were pictured together doing the celebration in the photo. Manuel Giuliano always seems to emote that celebration every time she scores. She only started doing this when dybala arrived. They play a similar role within the team as they are both the star of the show. Not only does Manuela Giuliano wear Francesco Totti’s number but she celebrates like Dybala making her the perfect individual to be the centerpiece of Roma.

National Team Regular

Manuel Giuliano clearly, over the past couple of years has developed into one of the best players in the world. That is proven with her recent nomination for the biggest individual honor while also being the first Italian woman to ever be nominated for the Ballon d’Or. She is an incredibly special player, although that somewhat goes without saying. In addition to having become one of the best players in the world, winning trophies at Roma and becoming incredibly important collectively for the best team in Italy, it doesn’t necessarily stop there. Manuela Giuliano has been a regular with the Italian national team ever since she was 20 years old. When she first broke into the scene as a 20-year-old, she was one of the stars in the under 17 European championships that earned her the reputation and ultimately the call-up by the Italian national team. Ever since she made her debut in 2017 she has not looked back. She has been more often than not a starter and a lot of big spots for the national team. In addition to that, she happens to also be joined by many Roma players. The vast majority of Roma’s starting lineup is pretty regularly featured with the national side. Not only currently but also past. Anna Serturni & Bonfantini Former Roma players also receive call-ups fairly often. During the last World Cup nine Roma players played for the country, seven of which represented Italy. Manuela Giuliano has made big friendships with players on the national team and has been a steeple of central Midfield for Italy. So on top of everything she’s already done. She has a national team resume as well. She broke through at 20 years old and since then has played in four different tournaments. She was called up for Euro 2017, World Cup in 2019, European championships in 2022 and this past World Cup in 2023. In the 2019 World Cup, she was a part of the team that made the quarterfinal before getting beaten by the Netherlands. Although Manuela Giuliano didn’t score herself, she has had a couple of memorable performances at major tournaments. In the 77 matches that she has played. She has scored on 11 occasions. She is heavily expected to be a part of the European championships in 2025 along with many of her Roma teammates. So her resume and her capabilities are beyond Roma as well and she is consistently being called and relied on by the Italian national team. The Italian national team has somewhat been dominated by Roma players. They are looking for a different result at the next European championships after failing to get out of the group at the World Cup. certainly. Manuel Giuliano, Valentina Giacinti, Greggi, Linari,Glionna, Lucia Di Guglielmo, and others will be hoping for an improvement. However One thing is certain the quality that Manuela Giuliano possesses is beyond Roma and she will be one of the key players in Midfield at the next European championships as she hopes to widen her resume even further amid the Ballon d’Or nomination.

Sister-Like Bond with Valentina Giacinti

Manuela Giuliano over the last two seasons at Roma has built a strong bond and relationship with Valentina Giacinti. Two of the most important players over these two titles. They have won two League titles, a super cup and a Copa Italia together. Manuel Giuliano has been around for every trophy the club has ever won. Valentina Giacinti has been on the team for all of the trophies except one. Ironically one she missed out on. She was on the other side in the penalty shootout in the 2020 Copa Italia final between AC Milan and Roma. Manuela Giuliano and Valentina Giacinti have an unbreakable bond on the pitch. They have known each other for a very long time coming up together on the youth Italian national teams. they have played in multiple tournaments together with Italy and have shared the pitch over The recent years in winning things together Club wise. The arrival of Valentina Giacinti 2 years ago was one of the biggest occurrences In club history. That transfer in particular ended up putting two titles in their hands. Although Roma have had some productive attackers, Valentina is just a different level. For many years was the best Striker in the league and probably still is. In fact, I remember a couple years ago me publicly stating that I believed Valentina was the best player in the league. At the time of her arrival. She probably still was. Her friend Manuela Giuliano has since taken over that totem. However, it’s unquestionable that Valentina and Manuela are Both top five players in the league. Valentina’s overall production in the goal scoring department says that with 39 goals in two seasons at the club. She currently sits second all time on Roma’s scoring list. The only person that has scored more is Manuela Giuliano at 47 goals. they are very close and have an affectionate relationship towards each other. It is a sister-like Bond that they have developed over the years. However, when they teamed up together, the productivity and the communication on the pitch connected almost immediately. they also briefly played together at AC Milan along with Camellia Caesar. All three of them are on the same team 6 years ago Now they all are two-time League champions together other than Valentina Camellia Caesar is also very close with Manuela Giuliano may e not as close Mostly because Camellia Caesar plays for the Romanian national team, not the Italian. So because of that Valentina and Manuela naturally are just a little bit closer. If you just look at the bulk of numbers that they have put up together and the relationships they have shared winning multiple trophies together. the arrival of Valentina was important, but also her involvement being at Roma helped Manuela Giuliano to become the best player in Italy and one of the best players in the world. Capitalizing on that relationship and Betty and spugna putting that together was a master stroke, not just from a football perspective, but the fact that they had a good flowing relationship having known each other for many years, putting them together led to winning but also strengthening a bond that they share with one another. They have a very special relationship on the pitch and one of the most dangerous things about them is the chemistry they have when moving the ball. The bulk of numbers that the two of them have supplied over the last two seasons is jawing to say the least. In football a lot of the times, the quality and the pieces are all very important but fitting pieces together that already have a strong relationship and good chemistry has proven to be very important. They have won primarily because the team is being built the right way with pieces that fit. Valentina and Manuela Giuliano have been at the forefront of all the success and the success. They’re going to continue to build over the next couple years. Both Manuela Giuliano and Valentina Giacinti have signed new contracts for the club in the last year. this sisterly bond is going to continue to be a problem for everyone else as winning time in Rome doesn’t look or appear to be coming to a close anytime soon.

Manuela Giuliano is the Queen in the Middle

Manuel Giuliano In a very short period of time became unquestionably the Best player in Italian football. In fact, one could take the step even further to say that she is a top 15 player in the world. The nomination that she inevitably received after the season vindicates how special she’s actually been. She’s been away from the public eye and despite having been consistently one of the best playmakers she’s never really found herself on the list Of players The tend to get the nominations to be grouped with some of the best players in the world. It took Manuela Giuliano to have a historic season just to get recognized as one of the candidates for the Ballon d’Or. No Italian woman has ever been nominated. It’s a very complex thing because there have been some truly magnificent seasons. However, Manuela Giuliano takes the Cake. This is one of the best seasons we have ever seen in Italian football. Truly a unique individual that has had an incredible meteoric rise to the summit. Manuela Giuliano has developed into a superstar. she is simply put one of the five best playmakers on the planet. That doesn’t necessarily make her A top five player in the world. However, from a playmaking point of view, she is beyond elite from all extensions of the word. She has shown that consistently this season. The numbers represent themselves even if she doesn’t have to. However, she’s so much more than just the numbers that she has put forward. Manuel Giuliano was named the player of the season during the last campaign. She has been the driving force behind two separate titles. In the last 5 years that she has been A part of Roma she has been named in the team of the season twice, she has won two League titles, she has won two Copa Italia’s she’s won a super cup. She’s Led Roma to a Champions League quarterfinal, she’s also been a part of the first team to qualify for Europe and the first team to win a trophy and the first team to win a title. She has eight Champions League goals in 18 matches for an attacking midfielder that is an outstanding return. 19 goals and 15 assists last season making her responsible for 34 goals last season. Manuela Giuliano had to adjust her game and this season became a much more attacking outlet. Even before this she was an absolutely elite midfielder. However, she wasn’t exactly the goal scoring midfielder she is now. It doesn’t truly matter whether she gets fifth in the Ballon d’Or or 25th. Even with the nomination, She is probably unlikely to be ranked where she actually deserves to be. However, this was never about whether or not she should win or not because obviously, regardless of the situation she was going to fall short of the stick. However, Manuela Giuliano made history No Italian woman had ever even been nominated for the award. So in some sense it’s about making history within her own Nation but on the other also making history with Roma. Her move to Roma from AC Milan 5 years ago will probably now be viewed to her as one of the best decisions she’s ever made. She had some profile about her when she arrived but she came into Roma and each season developed into a more and more refined player. She has earned the right to be on this list. She also has vindicated it with the qualities she has shown on and off the pitch. Manuel Giuliano scored two goals her first season in Rome. Today she is the clubs all time top score in history with 47 goals. Valentina Giacinti Is operating at an incredibly high standard in level in terms of productivity and goals. So perhaps at some point that will change. with how consistent Roma’s goal poacher is. However, as of right now she is the top scorer in club history with 47 goals. She will hit 50 goals at some point this season. She also adds 26 assists to all that she’s reached the century mark in appearances for Roma & in the brief history of the Roma ladies side. She’s already a club legend. Her legacy is enhanced with this recent nomination to the world’s most prestigious honor. However It’s not simply about that. It’s about the full picture. It’s about the road travel to get here. She went through an incredible journey to finally reach this point that she’s getting recognized on a global scale. Manuela Giuliano is unquestionably one of the best players in the world with all that she’s already done, she’s only going to add more to it. with the recent departure of Bartoli she has taken the armband Now being the captain of the club she holds so dear to her heart. She’s a special player that has gone through the appropriate steps landing on the short list of the Ballon d’Or. There’s not a word or a phrase that can capture the importance she has had and continues to have on Roma. Although it should be worth acknowledging that she wears the number 10 A number that has been forbidden to be used by most. However, on the women’s side they felt it was fitting for her to wear it on her back. After all she is the queen in the middle.