Any football fan with an algorithm worth anything will have come across the video on Instagram or TikTok before. An emotional Francesco Totti bidding an emotional farewell to an even more emotional Stadio Olimpico. I’m not a Roma fan, but I am a human being so I always stop and watch the video.
Football fans far and wide – except maybe Laziali – almost all stop and watch the video and get a lump in their throat. Totti spanned club rivalries, a one club man who stayed true to his hometown in the face of enormous offers from elsewhere. He lived out everyone’s childhood dream, captaining their local team, lifting a title for them and becoming their all time great.
I read somewhere that he said he hasn’t been able to walk around the city he loves so much in 20 years because he’s mobbed everywhere he goes. It seems bittersweet for a man who turned down Real Madrid to stay in Rome.
But how did he get here? Plenty of players come through their hometown youth system and don’t end up a legend across the entire country – look at Trent Alexander Arnold…
On March 28th 1993, Vujadin Boskov probably had no idea what he was unleashing on the world when he handed a 16 year old Francesco Totti his debut. Boskov had recognised his talent in training, specifically his technical ability, and called him up to the first team.
He was so young, the other players called him “il bambino” (the kid) and he kept his school books in his locker at the training ground. Early the next season, on September 4th 1994 a 17 year old Totti opened the scoring against Foggia with a powerful, well placed effort.
It was the first of many goals, 307 in total during 786 appearances. He also contributed 180 assists and at the time of his retirement was second in the list of all time Serie A appearance holders. The numbers speak for themselves, but numbers is a modern curse that we judge footballers on – thanks Pep. What made Totti a great was the way he effortlessly did incredible things on the pitch, his inventiveness and his ingenuity.
Thierry Henry described Totti as having “magic in his boots” and Pele said he was “one of the most intelligent players” he’d ever seen. It wasn’t always plain sailing for Totti however, in the mid-2000s he would suffer with recurring ankle and knee problems.
Not only this, but in the closing months of the 2005-06 season, he would break his leg in a match against Empoli. With the 2006 World Cup coming fast, Totti didn’t play a game from February until the end of the season.
The career threatening injury, as it turned out, couldn’t even threaten Totti’s World Cup. He would play in all seven games for Italy as they lifted the famous trophy following a shoot out win over France in the Final.
During the tournament, Totti would provide 4 assists and a crucial goal in the 95th minute of the Round of 16 against Australia, winning the game for Italy from the penalty spot and preventing extra time. After the tournament, manager Marcelo Lippi was moved by Totti’s commitment and ability, commenting, “Only Totti could’ve played like that with half a leg”.
His resolve to Roma was tested a few times, mainly by Real Madrid, who offered him a mega money deal in the early 2000s and pretty much guaranteed him a Ballon D’Or. On turning them down (several times), Totti said, “If I had gone to Madrid, I might have won more, but I would have betrayed myself”.
It was, therefore, fitting that Totti would provide the crucial goal to provide Roma’s first Scudetto since 1983. In the game against Parma on 17th June 2001, Totti scored the decisive goal that sealed a 3-1 victory and would see him parade around the pitch with a gladiator’s cape on. All over the city, the celebrations went on for days, and there’s still graffiti across Rome to this day saying “Grazie Capitano”.
There were many more iconic moments for Totti throughout his career. Some that come to mind are his ridiculous 40 yard lob against Inter at the San Siro in 2005. Spotting Julio Cesar off his line, he went for it and secured himself goal of the season, prompting commentary cries of “Non ci credo!!!” That’s “I don’t believe it” to you and I.
He also had a signature penalty move, crowned in Euro 2000 against the Netherlands when he chipped the ball down the middle in the shoot out under enormous pressure. His now iconic “cucchiaio” penalty was preceded by him turning to his team mates and saying, “Now I’ll do the spoon”.
Totti was the true inventor of the selfie celebration too, after scoring twice in the Rome Derby, he grabbed a phone from coach Guido Nanni and took a selfie with the Curva Sud. His second goal in that game equalled the record for goals scored in the Derby della Capitale with 11 – alongside Dino Da Costa.
It was this sort of cavalier performance for Rome, after turning down the big money and personal honours that led to team mates like Daniele De Rossi to say of him, “He is football for Rome. He’s the banner, the heart, and the king of this city.” His long term coach Luciano Spalletti said of him, “Totti is Roma, and Roma is Totti. He’s a symbol of a city, not just a club.”
When the time came to call time on his career, it was no wonder he was going to get the send off we all watch on Instagram and TikTok every time. Totti once said, “Winning one title at Roma to me is worth winning 10 at Juventus or Real Madrid.” It was that kind of refreshing loyalty that endeared him to so many across Rome and Italy.
When he stood on the pitch at the end of the game against Genoa at Stadio Olimpico, Totti – overcome with emotion – bid farewell to Roma with some typically passionate words, “Now I’m afraid. I need you and the love you’ve always shown me.”
So many footballers say they struggle after retirement and this openness with his public was typical of a man who once said, “I was born a Roman, and I’ll die a Roman”.
And perhaps that’s the best way to remember one of the true Legends of Calcio…
The Calcio Blog 