Both AS Roma and Juventus have spent the majority of the 2014 2015 season at or near the top of Italy's Serie A division. But the closeness these teams have on the standings table contrasts directly with their real-life relationship, the AS Roma versus Juventus football rivalry is as ferociously sour as any rivalry in Italian soccer. Sure, the derbies between AC Milan and Inter Milan generally attract more attention due to their "crosstown rivalry" status, while Roma's rivalry with Lazio is also one of the biggest in the world. However, when it comes to controversy, animosity, and downright dislike, few teams are enemies in the way that Juventus and Roma are.
So why do Roma's Wolves tend to despise Juve's Zebras with such vitriol? Why is a fan in the AS Roma away jersey 2014 2015 almost predisposed to not see eye to eye with a fan in the Juventus home jersey? Like most rivalries in world football, the cause of the ongoing war between these two soccer teams started many years ago, and is rooted specifically in one particularly contentious season.
The 1980 1981 Serie A
In this case, that "particularly contentious season" was the 1980 1981 Serie A. To set the scene, coming into that year's campaign, AS Roma hadn't won a Serie A title (or finished in second place, for that matter) since the 1940s. The Wolves had won their first-ever Italian football title in 1941 1942, and had never returned to the top of the table.
In 1980 1981, though, it looked like the club's four-decade draught of Serie A success was about to come to an end. In May 1981, with only three games left in the season, the wearers of the AS Roma jersey were just one point behind Juventus. The Wolves were shooting for their second-ever Serie A title, while the Zebras were aiming for their 19th. It was the kind of David and Goliath narrative that football fans love.
The third-to-last game of the season saw the Wolves donning the AS Roma away jersey and heading off to Turin to face Juve's league-leading side. This was their chance: if Roma had won the soccer game, they would have swept into first place and given themselves very good odds at winning the Italian football championship.
The Contentious MomentÂ
For most of the match, it certainly looked as if AS Roma were outplaying Juventus. Led by legendary midfielder Paulo Roberto Falcao, the Wolves had three or four very strong scoring opportunities, and while they were blocked, there was no doubt about which team was in control of the game.
In the last 15 minutes of the fixture, Roma midfielder Maurizio Turone netted a beautiful goal to finally put the underdogs in the lead. It would have been a match-winning point, but referee Paolo Bergam controversially hit Turone with an offside call, and disallowed the goal. The soccer game ultimately ended in a scoreless draw and AS Roma remained behind Juventus on the league standings table. Two weeks later, the Zebras had officially won the 1980 1981 Serie A title.
Ongoing Animosity
Juventus might have picked up the title that year, but there are many Italian soccer fans who still contend that AS Roma should have won. The belief back then-and one that is still held by some to this day-is that Italian refs tend to make calls that favor Juventus, giving the Zebras an unfair advantage that they have used to become the country's most powerful football club.
Animosity only grew between the two squads after that. For instance, when Juventus won a 1982 1983 away game against Roma, they did so on a goal that arguably should have been thrown out on an offside call. The Wolves actually did get their long-awaited second title that season, but the at-home loss against Juve was a low point and remains a sore spot.
On which side of this contentious Italian rivalry do your loyalties lie? Show your support for your chosen squad with an AS Roma jersey or Juventus home shirt 2014 2015 from Soccer Box! We will also have new 2015 2016 kits in stock for both teams in the coming months, so be sure to follow us on social media for news on the latest jersey releases! We can be found on numerous social networks including Twitter and Google +.