In the spotlight at the top of European football

Few places can rival Piraeus, the port of Athens, in terms of history. However, within months of stepping down from Greek football club Olympiacos, Lina Soloko has moved to another historic European city. Soloko, a former national youth volleyball player who specialized in sports law at university, was appointed CEO of Roma last April and moved with her young family to the Eternal City.

Speaking at the football club's Trigoria training center hours before February's Europa League match against Dutch side Feyenoord, the 40-year-old spoke of her rise to one of the most important positions in European football.

Greek-born Soloko is not the type who prefers to stay in her comfort zone. At Olympiacos, owned by shipping tycoon Evangelos Marinakis, she became the first diversity representative for the European Club Association, a membership organization for football teams and an influential force in the game.

The European Club Association was a crucial arena for Soloko, who joined the board as an observer and learned first-hand from influential players in European football. There she met Daniel Friedkin, the Texas-based billionaire who bought Roma in a deal worth 591 million euros about four years ago.

How important Roma is to fans' daily lives is something you only feel when you live in this great city

“Olympiacos is the best club in Greece ever, and it is a great honor to be a Greek working there,” Soloko says. But seeing the achievements of the European Club Association, and the challenges facing European football, made her want to “explore this new adventure outside Greece.”

“It's clearly a male-dominated industry – not just football, but sport in general,” she adds. “But I never thought of it as an obstacle or something that could be a problem.”

Under Friedkins, who have invested heavily, Roma's men won the inaugural Europa League in 2022 and finished as runners-up in the Europa League in 2023. Soloko also credits Friedkins with investing in the women's team, which won its first Serie A title. in 2023, and calls on others to follow suit. “The audience is growing, the interest is growing, and the level is improving,” she says. “This is an opportunity. If someone can't actually feel that… and they'll likely miss out on the opportunity to grow.”

Rome already has history and tradition: its badge is a she-wolf, evoking the legend of the city's founders, Romulus and Remus. But the challenge facing Soloko is to prepare the club for the future.

Jose Mourinho, the Portuguese coach who led the club to those European successes, was dismissed last January after a disappointing career. Some fans shed tears as he exited Trigoria, but Friedkins replaced him with Roma legend and Italian World Cup winner Daniele De Rossi, who won eight of his first 10 competitive matches, including Roma's 4-0 Premier League win. League team Brighton & Hove Albion in March.

Off the field, Roma says it has achieved financial targets set by UEFA to comply with regulations. The club cut its pre-tax losses to €99 million in 2022/23, from around €219 million the previous year, as revenues jumped by more than a third to €277 million, including a €47 million gain on player sales. Operating costs have fallen, thanks in part to lower player salaries.

Soloco, which began after the UEFA settlement, now targets financial sustainability and elite football domestically and in Europe. “The Friedkin family…they see themselves as custodians of an organization that the fans love, and they want to make it sustainable and stronger,” she says. “It's much more than just a business.”

However, the Roma face difficulties beyond their control. Serie A, the Italian football league, lags behind competitors such as the English Premier League or La Liga in revenue and global audience.

For Roma, like many Italian clubs, the problem is compounded by not having a home stadium. Italy's stubborn bureaucracy has made it difficult for Italian teams to build modern facilities, develop an attractive broadcast product and increase match-day revenues.

However, the Friedkins have plans for a new stadium, and Soloko says Roma is “working very closely with the municipality” and other stakeholders. A modern stadium is key to financial sustainability, but they emphasize the impact on the club's top priority: the fans, as well as the city. “It's really important that they have a playground that represents their home,” she says. “How important the Roma are in their daily lives is something you only feel when you live in this great city.”

However, distractions are never far away. Roma recently denied claims that they are interested in joining the revamped European Premier League, a separate competition mooted by Real Madrid and Barcelona. “We are open to reforms and inclusion, but always within the traditional structures of European football,” says Soloko.

Another force for change in world football is Saudi Arabia, which has paid huge sums to attract famous players to its domestic league and sponsor European clubs. Solocco says Roma are “really happy” with their partnership with Riyadh Season, a government-backed entertainment initiative whose branding appears on the club’s shirts.

But she denies rumors of a Saudi takeover of the company: “[The Friedkin family] Here to stay. They are really loyal to their commitment to the fans and have always been very respectful of the history of the club.

It's time to go downstairs, and she switches from English to Italian as the players emerge for their pre-match meal. Paulo Dybala, the Argentine World Cup winner, stopped by to chat with her; Captain Lorenzo Pellegrini shares a joke. It is worth noting that the players and Soloko all wear the same resolute look before a must-win match.

A few hours later, Feyenoord took an early lead, and a solemn silence descended on the Olympic Stadium, such that it was the envy of the holy sites of Rome. Soloko, watching from the executive seats, appears calm. She and the Roma fans do not have to wait long for an equalizer from the captain, but the end of the match comes without a winner.

In the decisive penalty shootout, Roma fans greeted the opponent's players with unbearable taunts and whistles. Two Feyenoord players missed the match, and Roma won, sparking wild celebrations and singing of Grazie Roma.

It's an ordeal, but it also sparks Roma's CEO's response to how she's coping with the pressure. Because she is unable to directly influence the progress of things on the field, she stresses that this is not an “individual” action but a team effort.

“This is football. Once a week, or twice a week, you are in the spotlight, but at the same time, the only solution to that is to unite with the owners, your coach, the players and the fans.