There is a reddit thread that has gained traction over the years, Roma fans from around the world – and it’s popularity might show why even Irish bookmakers on Betfree.ie like Paddy Power and BoyleSports offer Roma betting markets and why they are growing so rapidly.
Marco De Benedictis, a Canadian born Roma fan is aiming to put all the global fans all on the map, a move he shared on the club website recently, as he believes the 23,000 subscribers globally show the lure of the club.
The Roman club, often overshadowed by Italian heavyweights like Juventus and Milan, has quietly become a favourite in some of the most unexpected corners of the betting world.
We’re not talking about diehard fans in Trastevere or Roman expats in Toronto — but punters in places like Ireland, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe, who are regularly backing Roma at the bookies.
For Marco that global love was why he started up the Romanisti of Reddit campaign.
Speaking about it to the club website he said: “A few months ago, I put out an appeal on the r/ASRoma page, which has over 23,000 members, because I was curious about their whereabouts. In a short time, I collected more than 340 reports, which helped create an interactive map – which I’ve called “All roads lead to Rome” – really amazing and constantly updated. We are present on every continent, and every day someone is added who wants to be part of this yellow and red world map.”
It is easy to see why Roma are so popular globally.
In Ireland you have the tech bubble, a move that is bringing workers from all over the world, including Italy to Dublin looking for work.
You also have supporters club already based in the city, ones that meet at the Buskers On The Ball in the city centre for games, and Irish fans that make the move to Rome to watch the team play in the flesh on a regular basis.
Those trips might be all the more common now that Irish striker Evan Ferguson has joined the club from Brighton as well.
Ferguson, who is already drawing praise Italy for his style of play, is one of those players, like Scottish midfielder Scott McTominay, who leaves it all out on the pitch, and his workrate alone will see him be appreciated in Rome.
The move to sign Ferguson was also added to by the release of a brand new third jersey.
It’s a jersey that draws inspiration from ‘the geometry of classic Italian gardens’ and features the colours of the old Alba football club, one of the three teams that merged to form what we know as AS Roma today.
The kits also features a minimalist version of the badge as well as the classic adidas trefoil and it has gone down very well with soccer fans across the globe.
However many Irish fans also took a liking to it after they noticed that the kit features the colours of the Irish flag, with a white base with a green collar and cuffs and an orange line running through the collar and cuffs as well as featuring on the trefoil and crest.
The kit is a calling to Irish fans and it is one they are listening to.
But, it is not just in Dublin, though, that are celebrating and keeping an eye on what goes in Rome as Marco De Benedictis says, the fanbase is truly global.
He said in his interview with the club website: “Another really interesting aspect is the number of Roma fan clubs that exist around the world. For example, there are Roma Clubs in New York, Toronto, Washington, Montreal, Chicago, and many others across the globe. It’s great to see how the bond among Roma fans transcends borders and leads to the creation of fan communities that extend beyond the digital world.”
Roma’s digital presence helps spread the word of the club globally as well. The club’s English-language social media is sharp, irreverent, and occasionally profound, cutting through the corporate noise of modern football. It’s a voice that feels human, not polished to a fault, and it resonates with fans who might not speak Italian or follow Serie A closely.
There is no denying that Roma are growing, they have a club that has strong religious links to groups around the world and also cultural ones what with their history of South American superstars.
They appeal to fans world wide, what with their somewhat underdog story, and it’s a story that is continuing to inspire worldwide….
