It was simply love at first sight. On the 18 April 1993 I attended the Rome Derby between Roma and Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico. The stadium was jammed, both sets of fans were giving it loads, and there was so much smoke and flares it created a cloud that enveloped the pitch for the first 20 minutes of the game.
As I was seated close to the Curva Sud - home to the Roma hardcore - I decided to become a Romanista for the day. I've been one ever since.
Going to Rome for a football weekend is a pretty unbeatable experience. Visiting one of the greatest cities in the world, enjoying its food, wine - and of course, the ice cream - and then rounding things off with a trip to the Olimpico. It never fails to satisfy.
At this stage, Rome feels like a second home to me.
Initially, I wasn't attracted by the football, even though Serie A is one of the game's greatest leagues. It was all about the atmosphere. Roma's Curva Sud can be quite a cauldron on matchdays, especially on big European nights, when the biannual derby comes around, or the likes of Juve, Napoli or one of the Milan clubs are in town.
For whatever reasons, some locals have a strong dislike of English football fans
My early forays left me yearning for a place on the Curva Sud with the hardcore, where the focus is on giving the team 100% backing. Once I got to know a fans’ group called The Irish Clan, I began standing with them at the front of the Curva, replicating what I've always done at home as a Shamrock Rovers fan: full throttle support. Post-match lozenges are essential.
Watching the Curva Sud in full voice is one thing, but being a part of it can be truly exhilarating. And some of the most memorable moments of my life have occurred at the Olimpico.
One of my favourite nights there was in 2006, when Roma broke the Serie A record for number of wins on the trot by beating Lazio in the Derby. The red and yellow half of the Olimpico went nuts, and after the game a then-injured Francesco Totti was driven around the running track on a golf kart, waving a Roma flag at his adoring fans.
But the most memorable night of all was just a few weeks ago, when Roma bounced back from a 4-1 defeat in Camp Nou to knock out Barcelona and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League/European Cup for the first time since 1984. The atmosphere was truly incredible.
I've also made friends for life through Roma, but that's another story.
Though not everything is perfect in the Eternal City. Every metropolis has its social problems, and Rome is no different. Youth unemployment is staggeringly high, the city is broke, there's a strong move to the right of the political spectrum. Those realities are inescapable, regardless of whether you're inside or outside the Olimpico.
Yet the hooliganism that caused games in the noughties to be abandoned and often led to riots has largely dissipated. Even the Derby - where running battles between fans was the norm – is pretty much a violence-free occasion these days, although the passion remains intense.
But the sociopaths haven’t all disappeared.
Last week's Champions League defeat at Liverpool was overshadowed by pre-match fighting that left innocent Irish Liverpool fan Sean Cox hospitalised in a critical condition, after he was attacked by belt-wielding Roma fans.
The fear ahead of Wednesday's second leg is that there will be more violence. For whatever reasons, some locals have a strong dislike of English football fans. I've been in Rome on many European nights, and away fans of many nationalities have been made welcome.
But when the English are around there's a completely different atmosphere, and these games are a beacon for the kind of people you'd rather avoid.
Here's hoping we're talking only about the football on Thursday.
John Byrne is RTÉ.ie television editor - follow him on Twitter here.
