When Arsene Wenger sat in a press conference after Arsenal’s game against West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday, he could have given a passable impression of a Roman emperor fiddling in the weeds of the colonies while flames engulfed Rome.

The fans, he argued, were not projecting the image of unity that he would have liked to have seen. As a result, the way the club was viewed in China and America was increasingly negative.

Wenger is a leader who has built up an empire from scratch. When he took over at Highbury, it’s not as though he built a monument on virgin ground – Arsenal were a big English club at which Johan Cruyff was favourite to take over before the Frenchman got the job – but he did arrive at a time when football was increasing its popularity around the world.

By now, each club has its empire. With football fans dotted all around the world, every big club is taking the opportunity to snap up new fans and take over as much territory as possible in the global game of Risk being played out alongside the actual football. Both sides of the coin are arguably very important, but you’d like to think that a manager would be more preoccupied with sporting performance than global dominance.

But there’s another way of looking at it.

It’s not just Asia and the Americas where European football clubs can garner new fans. They can look to other European countries, too.

Most football fans will baulk at the idea of supporting two teams. You don’t choose your team, after all, and that emotional connection can’t simply be transferred to another side or spread out amongst multiple clubs.

But what you can do is look out for a team in another country. It represents an opportunity to watch another league and get to know different players. And whilst the connection might not be the same as it is to the first love, there can still be a strong bond forged.

Especially if the club you’re interested in abroad has some connection to you or your club at home.

It may have been a disappointing night in the North West of England on Tuesday night for AS Roma, but in the build-up to the game, a look at their Twitter account would have made you wonder if they were making a play for a few Liverpool fans who might turn into secondary Roma sympathisers.

As they say in Liverpool, Boss! ???? pic.twitter.com/osFOAzkSlh

— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) April 24, 2018

It’s probably too cynical to think that one big European name showing respect for another is anything other than pure. After all, respect is much better than trash talk.

But if Liverpool fans see Roma as a kindred spirit, then what’s to stop them from looking out for the Serie A club’s results in Italy or indeed in the Champions League. Maybe that will turn into a follow on social media, which in turn might turn into likes and shares and maybe even a bit of an affinity. The next thing you know it’s a replica shirt or a mug bought in the club store.

Club captain Daniele De Rossi lays a wreath at the Hillsborough memorial on behalf of the #ASRoma squad in remembrance of the 96 fans who lost their lives in 1989. pic.twitter.com/RrgYhIK18j

— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) April 23, 2018

????❤️ @OfficialRadja + @mosalah = Maximum respect ????#ASRoma #UCL #LFCRoma pic.twitter.com/3LNlPULYYh

— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) April 24, 2018

When football fans chase the world for new fans in new areas, there often appears to be a cynical sense of imperialism, to gain as many fans as possible and turn those fans of football without attachments to European clubs into passionate fans of their own team.

But maybe that’s too broad an aspiration. Maybe they’ll have more joy just showing the emotion attached to their club in Europe and how there might be other teams whose supporters might feel a certain affinity – and that seems so much more natural anyway.