The former ‘Giallorossi‘ tells his story to Corriere della Sera: “It saddens me the way my story with Roma ended. The truth is, in football, when you are no longer needed, there is no more respect. Spalletti…”
From his time at Roma to his relationship with his former coach Luciano Spalletti, Francesco Totti granted a lengthy interview to Corriere della Sera, covering various topics, including more personal ones like the controversy with Spalletti.
SPALLETTI
“If I were to meet him, I would greet him with affection; it would make me happy. I believe there is a deep bond between us. Also, what we went through together, when he arrived from Udine, is something irreplaceable in my life. Both on the field and in daily life.”
“I used to go out to dinner with him once or twice a week. Luciano was a pleasant, fun, sincere person. In the final phase, our relationship was influenced by external factors, especially by the club’s executives or consultants, and we no longer understood each other. I made mistakes too, of course. I believe that if both of us could go back, we would avoid getting into conflict.”
THE GIALLOROSSI SHIRT IMPRINTED INSIDE
Totti also talked about Roma, the team of his life. “I spent 30 years at Roma. I showed respect to everyone, turned down other offers without even thinking twice. I said no to Real Madrid and others because I wanted to play only for that jersey, only the Giallorossi jersey, which is imprinted inside me. It saddened me the way my story with Roma ended. The truth is that in football, when you’re no longer needed, there’s no more respect. If Maldini, Del Piero, Baggio, and I are out of football, it means something, doesn’t it?”
MOURINHO IS THE BEST
Then he spoke about Mourinho and a potential future with Roma: “Certainly, with a defined role, I would like to go back especially for the reasons I mentioned earlier. And I would like if that could be with Mourinho; he’s the number one, I have great respect for him.”
“I regret not being coached by him in my career. But I don’t want to dwell on that. Roma knows that if they need me for serious matters, I’m happy to lend a hand. Otherwise, we remain friends as always.”
