Totti: "Leaving Roma? More let down by the club than by Spalletti" | OneFootball

Francesco Totti opens up in an exclusive interview with Amazon Prime Video, retracing his extraordinary career wearing the Roma jersey, through joys, sorrows, and a farewell he never wanted.

Totti: “Leaving Roma? More disappointed with the club than with Spalletti”

Having grown up wearing the Giallorossi shirt, Totti explains: “As I grew up, I told myself: ‘I came here and here I’ll die.’ In 2004 I could have gone to Real Madrid, but my heart and love for the fans prevailed.” The former captain highlights the uniqueness of his relationship with the Roma supporters: “It will be hard to find someone who can do what I did at Roma, and no one will ever surpass the love between me and the people.”

Unforgettable moments Making his debut at 17 under Mazzone remains an indelible memory: “A second father, he knew how to manage me best. Only those who knew me can understand the difference between me and the others.” Among the most important moments of his career, Totti recalls with emotion the Scudetto won as captain and the goal in the 5-1 win against Lazio, describing the derbies as “like a World Cup final.”

The relationship with Spalletti There is no shortage of behind-the-scenes stories about his second experience with Luciano Spalletti: “He wasn’t the Spalletti I had known. Everything was always taken out on me, he came to Roma to make me quit.” Despite some friction, Totti clarifies that the responsibility for the farewell is not his: “Roma got the timing and the manner wrong; in terms of disappointment, I put the club first and then Spalletti.”

The farewell and regrets Totti remembers the weeks following his farewell as particularly painful: “I cried every day for three weeks. I could have gone to MLS or to Torino with Mihajlovic, but I didn’t feel like ruining everything.”

Teammates and idols Among his dearest teammates: “Candela,” while among the players he would have liked to play with: “Ronaldo the Phenomenon, stronger than Messi.” On his relationship with Nesta: “We always clashed in the derbies, but we care about each other.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.