This week, we celebrate the incredible career of Francesco Totti, as ‘Er Pupone’ surpasses Gunnar Nordahl’s tally as Enrique’s Roma project finally takes flight.
“There are no untouchable players in modern-day football. Francesco has to deal with being left out in a different way. He has to look after himself so that we can get the most out of him, swallow his pride and remember that he’s always a great help to the team.”
“Francesco has to understand how things are. He might be more useful to Roma playing 20 games rather than 30. But he has to keep smiling, also so that he can help the new arrivals.”
So said AS Roma Sporting Director Walter Sabatini back in September at the time of the Europa League and ‘Basta’ training t-shirt incident when Totti certainly wasn’t smiling. The start-of-season change in ownership and coaching staff, along with the associated departure and arrival of new playing staff had meant a bumpy start for Luis Enrique’s new-look Roma and the club’s talisman and symbol seemed to be suffering under the new regime.
Prior to the season start, Roma’s captain appeared to be having some difficulty coming to terms with the new project that was being implemented at the club following its takeover by American owner Thomas Di Benedetto. The respect Totti had quite reasonably requested in an open letter to Il Corriere dello Sport during the summer was, in his opinion, lacking.
A poor start to the season, with injuries and tactics limiting his appearances, meant that Totti finished the calendar year without a goal in the league since May. A missed penalty against unbeaten league leaders Juventus in December, which cost Roma victory, meant that even the Roma faithful had begun to waver.
“Enough, you’re finished, let it go. Football is no longer for you… You’re no good anymore,” they chanted.
Those street insults directed at Totti the day after his missed penalty while out shopping with his children in Rome stung and when he was pulled to one side by Sky Italia and asked if he had ever thought about leaving Roma. “Yes, I’ve thought about it, especially recently,” he sighed. “If things continue this way, I’ll keep thinking about it.”
“I am not talking about the club, the coach or my teammates,” he explained. “I am only upset at hearing some of the things Roma fans have said about me.”
Fast-forward a few weeks and what a difference a new year can bring. Two goals against Chievo Verona on January 8th and a t-shirt which read, “Sorry for the delay” showed that the player had retained his goal-scoring touch along with his sense of humour.
Another two against Cesena in a 5-1 drubbing last weekend meant that Totti’s club tally reached 211 goals, moving him past the previous record number of league goals scored by a player for a single club, which had been held by the prolific Swedish striker Gunnar Nordahl who played for AC Milan in the 1950s.
Comparing him to someone in the modern game, Totti has reached his 211 goal total in 486 league appearances from a trequartista or second-striker position, whereas the goal-poacher supreme, Pippo Inzaghi, has a total of 197 goals from 468 league appearances.
Totti himself expressed his delight at reaching the record milestone: “I’m proud and I feel I deserve it for what I have done on the football field. I have only ever wanted to wear one shirt and the results tell me I was right.”
“I’m pleased with what I have accomplished and with what I am going to accomplish. Wearing one shirt in your career is a double victory: I had various chances to leave, but my love for Roma won through in the end. This shirt is more important than the Ballon d’Or, even if they are two completely different things,” he explained.
And while Totti has reached this record, thoughts of retirement are still far from his mind: “I have another two years on my contract. If I’m still in good condition like now, I hope to play until I’m 40. But for the moment it’s only chat: if I’m not up to it, I’ll be the first to throw in the towel. Now I’m only thinking about enjoying my football, I’ll change job when I don’t feel the urge to play anymore.”
His contributions in recent league games have helped Roma find some consistent form with the Giallorossi currently on a 4-match winning run and consequently, the early-season tension between Totti and Enrique seems to have eased: “I’ve had a great relationship with the coach right from the start. I always said I was part of the group and that I was ready to play. When I played I did well enough and was kept in consideration. Luis Enrique is a great person, a real person.”
“He has many qualities and wants to bring a new way of thinking into the club. I really like his ideas, even though I wasn’t too pleased with the position I was playing in at the beginning of the season. He was right, though: I’m enjoying it, the team are enjoying it, and the fans are enjoying it,” he said.
Two legends hug it out in Turin last night
And as unlikely as it may seem, Irish fans might yet see him line out for the Azzurri in Euro 2012: “Never is a big word,” he said. “I’m pleased that coach Prandelli is considering me. I’ve always said that we got on well together, even if he only coached me for a week or ten days. He has done great things with la Nazionale”, said Totti.
“If I’m still as fit as this in May, I’ll consider it. Generally speaking, at the age of 35 you should be slowing down. But I’m speeding up. The important thing is to be a professional to the very end.”
On Tuesday night, Totti got the chance to take the field for what would surely be the final time against his old friend and another great of the Italian game, Alessandro Del Piero, as Juventus entertained Roma in the Coppa Italia.
“I’ll be sorry if it’s his last game against us. He made the difference in Italy and in Europe. Juve should treat him like a king. I hope he stays on for as long as he wants to,” said Totti while Del Piero returned the compliment when commenting on Totti’s goal haul.
“What Francesco has done is extraordinary, 211 goals with the same shirt, he deserves the record.”
With 205 league goals (20 in Serie B following Calciopoli) in 503 league appearances himself with the Bianconeri, Del Piero is better placed than most to appreciate Totti’s achievement but it would be Del Piero who the football gods would show favour to last night as they allowed the 37-year old to show that he too retains the ability to find the net with a goal worthy of any occasion.
Will this prove to be Del Piero’s final goal?
Hopefully those present in Turin last night appreciated these two icons of Italian football who have been symbols of their respective clubs for the past 20 years because, as the radio ad goes, “When they’re gone, they’re gone.”
Weekend Results:
Bologna 0-0 Parma, Lecce 2-2 Chievo Verona, Novara 0-3 AC Milan, Palermo 5-3 Genoa, Siena 1-1 Napoli, Udinese 2-1 Catania, Cagliari 0-0 Fiorentina, Inter 2-1 Lazio, AS Roma 5-1 Cesena, Atalanta 0-2 Juventus
Tuesday Jan 24
Juventus 3-0 AS Roma Coppa Italia (Quarter-finals)
Upcoming Fixtures:
Saturday, January 28
Catania v Parma
Juventus v Udinese (7:45pm Live on Setanta Ireland)
Sunday, January 29
Fiorentina v Siena
AS Roma v Bologna
Cesena v Atalanta
Chievo Verona v Lazio
Genoa v Napoli
Lecce v Inter
Palermo v Novara
AC Milan v Cagliari (7:45pm Live on Setanta Ireland)
Tuesday, January 31
Parma v Juventus (7:45pm Live on Setanta Ireland)
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