ROME (AP) — Roma won its first Serie A Women’s title on Saturday, ending Juventus’ long reign.
Roma beat Fiorentina 2-1 in front of more than 2,700 fans at home to secure the crown after five straight league titles for Juventus.
The Giallorosse were on course for a treble of trophies. They face Juventus in the Italian Cup final on June 4 and already own the Italian Super Cup won in November.
“We are champions of Italy and that’s something really fantastic,” Roma coach Alessandro Spugna said. “We wanted this day, at home, in front of our fans, because they have been fantastic the whole season and today more than ever.
“It was a great setting. A dream has been achieved.”
Roma has dominated Serie A Women, winning 21 of its 23 matches.
It was also fitting that captain Elisa Bartoli scored the winning goal after Fiorentina forward Milica Mijatović canceled out Giada Greggi’s opener.
Bartoli joined Roma when it was first founded five years ago, and the defender became the first captain.
“It seems like a fairytale,” Spugna said. “It’s a goal that she really deserved not just for this year, but for all the seasons she has had at Roma.
“I am happy for her and I am happy for all the girls, because from the first day they have worked with great desire, great intensity and the right determination to achieve such a target.”
Roma won the Italian Cup last season. It also reached the quarterfinals of the Women’s Champions League this year but was eliminated by Barcelona.
“Congratulations to Roma for this deserved success,” said Gabriele Gravina, president of the Italian soccer federation.
“The team had an incredible season and winning its first league title is the crowning moment of an organization that, starting from the youth sector, is involving the Roman public, as it showed during the great attendance at the Champions League match against Barcelona at the Stadio Olimpico.”
This is the first season in which women’s soccer has been professional in Italy.
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