A 2006 FIFA World Cup winner and UEFA Euro 2000 finalist with Italy, Totti was selected in the All-Star team for both tournaments; he also represented his country at the 2002 World Cup, and at Euro 2004. He has also won several individual awards, the most important of which are the 2007 European Golden Shoe[15] and the Golden Foot.[16] In 2004 he was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the world's greatest living players, selected by Pelé, as part of FIFA's centenary celebrations.[17] In 2011, Totti was recognized by IFFHS as the most popular footballer in Europe.[18] In November 2014, Totti extended his record as the oldest goalscorer in UEFA Champions League history, aged 38 years and 59 days.[19]
Often referred to as Il Bimbo d'Oro (The Golden Boy), Il Re di Roma (The King of Rome), Er Pupone (The Big Baby), and Il Gladiatore (The Gladiator) by the Italian sports media, Totti is currently the top active goalscorer in Serie A, and the second highest scorer of all-time in Italian league history with 248 goals.
Early life
Totti was born in Rome, to parents Lorenzo and Fiorella Totti. He was raised in the Porta Metronia neighbourhood.[20] As a youngster he idolized ex-Roma captain Giuseppe Giannini,[21] and regularly played football with older boys. Totti began to play youth team football at the age of 8, with Fortitudo, later joining Smit Trastevere and Lodigiani. After he first came to the attention of scouts, his mother refused a lucrative offer from A.C. Milan so as to keep him in his home town. Although his youth club initially had come to an agreement to sell Totti to the Lazio youth side, one of Roma's youth coaches, Gildo Giannini, persuaded his parents to let him join the Roma youth squad in 1989.[20]
Club career
Roma
Early seasons
After three years at the youth team, Totti made his first appearance for Roma's senior side in Serie A at the age of sixteen, when coach Vujadin Boškov called him on in the 2–0 away victory against Brescia on 28 March 1993. In the following season under Carlo Mazzone, Totti began to play more regularly and scored his first goal on 4 September 1994 in a 1–1 draw against Foggia.[22] By 1995, Totti had become a regular in Roma's starting line-up and scored 16 goals during the next three seasons, and publicly praised his manager Mazzone for helping him to develop as a footballer. After Mazzone left Roma, Totti worked with Carlos Bianchi, and also enjoyed a short-spell with one of the most important managers in the club's history, Nils Liedholm.
Zeman era I: The playmaker
Totti's years under Zeman represented a period of both physical and mental maturation as a player. From a technical and tactical standpoint, he proved to be compatible on the left wing in the rigid formations of the Bohemian coach; he also became physically more powerful, fit, hard-working, and complete.[23] From a mental perspective, he displayed a greater responsibility for the team, and was presented with the number 10 jersey. His first season under Zeman started well, with Totti taking advantage of a 4–3–3 formation, scoring as many goals as possible and providing assists for his teammates. On 9 November 1997, he scored his first Serie A brace, against Bari, cementing his status as one of the most promising young players in the league; furthermore, some critics began to suggest that coach Cesare Maldini should include him in the Italian squad for the 1998 World Cup in France. He had an excellent start to the season, the exception being on 14 December 1997 when a match against Inter ended with a 3–0 defeat with Totti receiving a red card. The goal-drought that resulted after that match was finally brought to an end in a 2–0 win against Napoli on 22 February 1998. From that match on until the end of the season, Totti scored 8 goals and contributed to Roma's fourth place league finish that year. The following season began with Totti being awarded the Guerin d'Oro for the 1997–98 season, given to him for his consistent performances throughout the course of the previous Serie A season, having achieved the highest average rating of any Serie A player. On 31 October 1998, at the age of 22, Totti became the official team captain, the youngest Serie A club captain ever,[3] and began to gain recognition as a club symbol and as a leader. Overall, he scored 30 goals during Zeman's two-year managerial stint. Although Totti was not called up for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, he was named the Serie A Young Footballer of the Year for the 1998–99 season.
Capello era: 2001 Scudetto
Decal of Totti alongside the Scudetto shield, displayed on a house in Rome.
By the 2000–01 campaign, Roma, then coached by Fabio Capello, were building a competitive team around Totti, who was by now being utilised as a creative attacking midfielder due to his passing skills and playmaking abilities. Totti scored in a 2–0 home win over Bologna on his season debut. Against Udinese, Totti scored with a powerful left-footed volley. He continued his goalscoring form by scoring against Napoli at home in a 3–0 victory. Totti played an important role in leading the club to the top of the table, gaining a comfortable lead over rivals Juventus. On 17 June 2001, at the Stadio Olimpico, Roma beat Parma 3–1, with their three main attackers, Totti, Vincenzo Montella and Gabriel Batistuta scoring one goal each, as Roma were crowned champions of Italy. On 19 August 2001 Totti won his first Supercoppa Italiana, scoring in the 3–0 win against Fiorentina.
Totti was named the Serie A Italian Footballer of the Year for both 2000 and 2001. He received his first Ballon d'Or nomination in 2000, finishing fourteenth in the voting and fifth the following year.[24] Due to his performances, Totti had established himself as a hero to the Roma fans, who were able to identify with his background as a Roma native and lifelong supporter.
Over the following seasons, Totti played as second striker as part of a 3–5–2 formation and scored his first hat-trick in Serie A, in a 3–2 away win over Brescia on 30 September 2002.[25] Totti also scored the only goal in Roma's decisive 1–0 victory at the Bernabéu against Real Madrid on 30 October 2002; this was the first time in 35 years that an Italian team had won a match in Madrid.[26] He continued his goalscoring exploits against Valencia, scoring two goals in Roma's 3–0 win.[27] Despite this, Roma only finished third in their Champions League group and in eighth position in Serie A, although they managed to reach the 2003 Coppa Italia Final. In the final against Milan, Totti scored three times from free kicks (one goal at home and two at the San Siro), but Roma lost out to Milan 6–3 on aggregate. In 2003, Totti won his second Serie A Footballer of the Year Award.
In the 2003–04 season, Totti played a key role in helping Roma to finish runners-up to Milan in the Scudetto race. Throughout the league season he scored 20 goals, his best haul in Serie A up to that point, which allowed him to win his second Guerin d'Oro, as the player with the best average rating in Serie A throughout the season. Moreover, the Roma captain notably performed his trademark "cucchiaio" chipped goal on several occasions throughout the season.
Despite a disappointing 2004–05 season, which saw Capello leave for Juventus and Roma slip to eighth place while making four coaching changes during the course of the season, including Cesare Prandelli, Rudi Völler, Luigi Delneri and Bruno Conti, Totti maintained consistent form by scoring fifteen goals, among which was his 100th Serie A goal against Internazionale, on 3 October 2004, with a free kick from 30 metres. Two months later, on 19 December, he became Roma's all-time leading scorer after netting his 107th career goal against Parma, breaking the record previously held by Roberto Pruzzo.
Spalletti era: Transition to striker
Roma's new coach for the 2005–06 season, Luciano Spalletti, went with a 4–2–3–1 formation, deploying Totti in a newer, more offensive role. Despite his new attacking role, Totti would not remain forward waiting for crosses or passes from team-mates, but would rather drop deep to pick up the ball, thus creating space for the attacking midfielders and wingers to making offensive runs, to whom Totti was able to provide assists; this role would later be described as a "false-9". In this new position, Totti continued to score frequently, totalling 15 goals in 24 matches. At one point during this streak, the team won 11 consecutive games. In the spring of 2005 he renewed his contract until 2010, with an annual salary of €5.4 million. In January 2006, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Pelé praised Totti, calling him "the best player in the world".[28] On 19 February 2006, he suffered a fracture of his left fibula and ligament damage during a match against Empoli after being fouled by Richard Vanigli.[29] Totti was at risk of missing the 2006 World Cup, but returned to the side on 11 May as a substitute in Roma's 3–1 Coppa Italia Final defeat to Internazionale. A metal plate had been attached to his ankle during surgery, but doctors decided not to operate again and remove it following Totti's return, concurring that the plate would not affect his game.[30] He was given off-label treatments of teriparatide to speed-up his fracture recovery.[31]
The 2006–07 season was a personal high for Totti as he scored 26 goals in Serie A, as well as another 6 goals in the Champions League (scoring three times in the group stage and once in the round-of-16 tie against Lyon) and the Coppa Italia. Despite their elimination from the Champions League by Manchester United in the quarter-finals, Roma won the Coppa Italia against Inter Milan, with a 6–2 victory at home (Totti scored the opening goal after fifty seconds) and a 2–1 defeat at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium in Milan. Totti was therefore able to lift his first Coppa Italia as club captain. In the first half of the season, on 26 October 2006, against Sampdoria, Totti produced a notable goal with a left-volley shot from a very tight angle, voted the best goal of the season, and it was included in the top ten goals from incredible angles drafted by The Sun.[32] On 27 May 2007, Totti became Serie A top scorer with 26 goals, and on the 17 June, he also received the ESMEuropean Golden Shoe award as the top European goalscorer of the season. Despite being the highest active goalscorer in Serie A, he was not among the finalists for the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year[33] due to his absence from the national team, although he was nominated for the 2007 Ballon d'Or, finishing tenth in the voting.
Totti scored his 200th goal for Roma in a 4–0 victory against Torino, in the Coppa Italia, on 16 January 2008. He was named the Serie A Italian Footballer of the Year for the fifth time in his career on 28 January. The following month, on 24 February, he reached 386 appearances in Serie A with Roma in a match against Fiorentina, equaling the club appearance record previously held by Giacomo Losi, the legendary Roma captain in the 1960s. He broke the record on 27 February, in the following match against Inter. On 9 March, he reached his 500th overall appearance for Roma, scoring the second goal of the match from a penalty kick in a 2–0 away win over Napoli.[34] He suffered a season-ending injury to his right knee during a 1–1 draw with Livorno on 19 April. Tests revealed a tear of his ACL that required surgery, ruling him out for four months.[35] Roma won their ninth Coppa Italia with a 2–1 victory over Internazionale on 24 May; and although Totti did not play the match, he was still allowed to lift the cup as the team's captain. With this win, Totti became the most successful captain in the club's history, with five titles and ten runners-up medals.
Totti playing against Fiorentina in 2009 during Spalletti's final year
In the 2008–09 season Totti recovered from the previous injury, and went on to help his team beat Lazio in the Rome derby (assisting Júlio Baptista's winning goal). In the game against Lecce, he provided assists for Mirko Vučinić and scored a lobbed goal in a 3–0 win.[36] In the Champions League, he scored against Cluj (from a free kick), and scored the second goal in a 2–0 win against Bordeaux.[37] On 8 November 2008, he made his 400th appearance in Serie A, in a 1–1 away draw against Bologna, scoring the opening goal of the match. On 19 April 2009, he scored his 175th Serie A goal in a 3–2 home win over Lecce, overtaking Amedeo Amadei as Roma's highest goalscorer of all time. Furthermore, with the goal, Totti became one of the top-ten goalscorers in Serie A history.[38]
Ranieri era: Struggles
Roma's difficult start to the 2008–09 season and continued struggles at the start of the 2009–10 season saw Spalletti resign after his four-year reign and he was replaced by Claudio Ranieri. Totti performed well in the inaugural UEFA Europa League; he scored three hat-tricks, first in a 7–1 away win against Gent in the third qualifying round and then another in the same scoreline against Košice at the Olimpico in the play-off round. He also scored 3 goals against Bari, seven years on from his last hat-trick in Serie A.
On 30 November 2009, Totti confirmed he had signed a new five-year playing contract which would see him at the club until 2014, after which he stated he would become a club director for a further five years.[39][40] Roma offered him an annual salary of €8.9M for 2009–10 and €8.6M a year for the next 4 seasons.[41]
With a 24-match unbeaten run in Serie A, Roma became the only challengers to Inter in the last three rounds for the league title that season, ultimately finishing runners-up after the final game. Despite suffering several injury problems, he surpassed legends such as Gabriel Batistuta, Giuseppe Signori, and Kurt Hamrin in the all-time Serie A scoring records. Totti also played in the Coppa Italia Final against Inter on 5 May 2010 but received a red card in the closing minutes of the second half for kicking Mario Balotelli. Roma lost the match 0–1, thus failing to bring home a record 10th Coppa Italia title.
In the 2010–11 season, Roma continued their 'traditional' early struggles, which were partly blamed on Ranieri's failure to develop a consistent set of tactics. On a personal level, Totti won the Golden Foot award, but Ranieri's lack of faith in him meant that the captain would spend a lot of time on the substitute's bench in favour of younger forwards, such as Marco Borriello, Mirko Vučinić and Jérémy Menez. His limited playing time (including a 91st minute substitution against Sampdoria[42]) resulted in only three league goals in 21 appearances. Following Roma's loss against Genoa on 20 February 2011, Ranieri resigned as manager of Roma and Totti saw his former teammate Vincenzo Montella appointed as caretaker coach.
Montella era: Return to form
Totti in 2011
Montella reverted to Spalletti's 4–2–3–1 system and Totti appeared to recapture his best form. On 3 March, Totti was voted the best active Italian player in a poll conducted by La Gazzetta dello Sport; 100 Italian personalities including footballers, politicians and celebrities took part in the vote. On 13 March 2011, he scored two goals against Lazio which gave Roma their fifth consecutive victory in the Rome Derby.[43] The following March, Totti became the sixth player in Serie A history to score 200 goals, finding the target twice in a 2–2 draw to total 201 league goals. On 1 May, Totti scored a brace against Bari to equal and subsequently overtake Roberto Baggio as the fifth highest goal-scorer in Serie A with his 205th and 206th career league goals,[44] putting him behind only Silvio Piola, Gunnar Nordahl, Giuseppe Meazza and José Altafini. Totti ended the 2010–11 Serie A campaign with 15 goals – scoring a remarkable twelve goals in Roma's last 13 league fixtures.
At the end of the season, Roma underwent a change of ownership, with the former club owner Rosella Sensi being replaced by an American consortium led by Thomas DiBenedetto.[45] Under the new management, the club did not offer a permanent contract to Montella, which led to him leaving to coach another Serie A side, Catania.[46] The Roma management appointed Luis Enrique, who had previous coached the Barcelona B side, in a bid to emulate Barcelona's football style.[47]
Enrique era: Back to playmaker
The 2011–12 season began with Totti getting few starts under Luis Enrique in a year that got off to a rocky start for Roma.[48] He sustained an injury on 1 October 2011 in the second half in a match against Atalanta, which kept him out of action until the 20 November, when he came off the bench in the 66th minute against Lecce, as Roma won the match 2–1. During this absence, his presence was sorely missed on the pitch as the giallorossi's new, predominantly young, team were inconsistent in their performances as they grew accustomed to each other.
In mid-December, as Totti began regaining form post-injury, he started playing more regularly, often as an attacking midfielder. On 12 December, during an otherwise strong performance in a 1–1 home draw against eventual champions Juventus, which included an assist for Daniele De Rossi's opening goal, Totti missed a second-half penalty. He provided several more assists that season, notably for Pablo Osvaldo's goal in Roma's 3–1 win over Napoli at the San Paolo, and De Rossi's goal against Catania at the Massimino stadium. Playing in a deeper position on the pitch, the Roma talisman did not seek to score goals as often, opting rather to play more of a supporting role by bridging the gap between attack and midfield, using his presence and experience in games to offer some much needed depth to the team.
On 8 January 2012, Totti scored his first goals of the season in a 2–0 win against Chievo, converting one penalty in the first half and another in the second. He went on to score two goals in a 5–1 win against Cesena which allowed Totti to set a new record, as his second goal of the match brought his tally to 211 league goals – the most any player has ever scored for a single club in Serie A.[49] Despite his inability to find the back of the net as the second half of the season began, his performances continued to be good, as he notably assisted Juan's goal from a corner in Roma's 4–0 win over Inter on 5 February. Totti scored his fifth goal of the season in a 3–1 victory over Udinese. He scored again in a 2–1 loss against Fiorentina, and two weeks later, on his 500th match in Serie A, he scored two goals in a 2–2 draw against Catania at the Stadio Olimpico.
Zeman era II: Breaking records
Totti in action during a 2012 friendly match against Liverpool in Boston, Massachusetts
After Luis Enrique decided to resign due to an unsuccessful season in which Roma failed to qualify for European football for the first time in 15 years; the club decided to appoint their former manager Zdeněk Zeman with whom Totti would once again be reunited. Zeman tried to play Totti in a free-role as a left forward or winger in his preferred 4–3–3 tactical line-up.[50] Although this was a similar role to that which he had played during Zeman's previous spell 13 years before, Totti's freedom also enabled him to drop deep into the midfield to press opponents and pick up the ball, as well as attacking on the left wing.[51] On 2 September, Totti provided 2 assists for Alessandro Florenzi and Pablo Osvaldo in Roma's 3–1 win over Inter at the San Siro. After the match, he received praise from the media due to his performance, even as he approached his 36th birthday.[52] On 21 October, Totti surpassed both Giuseppe Meazza and José Altafini's joint-record after scoring the first of Roma's goals in a 2–4 away win at Genoa, becoming the third highest scorer in Serie A history with 217 goals. On 8 December, Totti scored 2 goals, his 5th and 6th of the season, in a 4–2 home victory against Fiorentina.[53]
On 16 February 2013, he scored a thunderbolt as Roma shocked league leaders Juventus in a 1–0 win.[54] On 3 March, he scored his 225th goal against Genoa to become Serie A's joint second top scorer along with Gunnar Nordahl, as Roma cruised to a 3–1 victory.[55] Totti finally broke Nordahl's record by scoring against Parma on 18 March, increasing his Serie A tally to 226 goals.[56] On April 8, with a goal from a penalty kick in the 1–1 draw against Lazio, he became the joint top scorer of all time in Serie A in the Rome derby with 9 goals, putting him on par with Dino Da Costa and Marco Delvecchio.[57] Totti finished the 2012–13 Serie A season with 12 goals and 12 assists from 34 appearances.[58]
Garcia era and Spalletti return: Free forward
Totti in action for Roma against Chelsea F.C. in August, 2013
With the arrival of Roma's new coach Rudi Garcia, in the summer of 2013, Totti was once again deployed as a false-9, while also functioning as a supporting forward, or as winger on the left on occasion.[59] On 20 September 2013, Roma announced that Totti had signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2016, past his 39th birthday.[60] He scored his first goal of the 2013–14 season against Parma in a 3–1 victory. He followed up the goal with two strikes in Roma's 3–0 away victory over Inter, helping the team maintain a 100% record after seven games.[61] On 20 November he received the "Captain of captains" award by the association Editutto and Baker Tilly Revisa.[62]
On 14 February, the Roma captain was sidelined for about a month after sustaining a bruised right buttock. He returned to the pitch on 17 March against Udinese, scoring the first goal of the match as he dragged his team to a 3–2 win.[63] Eight days later, Totti celebrated 700 overall appearances with Roma against Torino. On 2 April, he scored his 20th career goal against Parma (a personal record against any side) in a 4–2 victory.[64] He finished the season with 8 goals and 10 assists, winning the award for top assist provider of the 2013–14 Serie A season in the process.[65]
Totti playing against CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Champions League, 2014
Prior to the start of the 2014–15 season, Totti had been the star player of Roma's pre-season friendlies.[66]
On 30 September 2014, three days after his 38th birthday, Totti scored Roma's equaliser in a Champions League group stage draw at Manchester City, thus becoming the oldest scorer in the history of the competition;[67][68] it was also Totti's 300th professional career goal.[69][70] On 25 October, Totti scored the opening goal from a free-kick in a 1–1 draw against CSKA Moscow, extending his record of oldest goalscorer in the history of the UEFA Champions League at 38 years and 59 days.[19]
On 11 January 2015, Totti scored two goals against local rivals Lazio, making him the joint all-time top scorer in the Rome Derby in official club competitions, alongside Dino Da Costa, with 11 goals, as well as Serie A top scorer in the Rome Derby.[71][72] On 9 May, Totti scored from a penalty in a 2–1 away defeat to Milan, equalling Roberto Baggio for the record of the most goals scored in Serie A from penalties (68).[73][74] On 31 May, in the final match-day of the 2014–15 season, he scored his 299th goal for Roma in a 2–1 home defeat to Palermo.[75] Totti finished the season as Roma's leading scorer with 10 goals in all competitions, the 7th time in which he had been the team's top scorer.[76]
On his second league appearance of the 2015–16 Serie A season, Totti scored his 300th career club goal in all competitions with Roma in a 2–2 home draw with Sassuolo, on 20 September 2015.[77] On 26 September 2015, the day before his 39th birthday, he sustained an injury, straining his right hip flexor in a 5–1 win over Carpi, ruling him out for 3 months.[78] He returned to the pitch as a substitute in a 1–1 home draw against Milan, on 9 January 2016,[79] equalling Gianluca Pagliuca as the third all-time highest appearance holder in Serie A history, with 592 appearances.[80] On 21 February, Totti publicly criticized new manager Luciano Spalletti in the media for his lack of playing-time since his return from injury. He was subsequently dropped for Roma's 5–0 win over Palermo, with the decision causing an uproar among the fans and in the media.[81] On 8 March, Totti came on as a substitute for El Shaarawy in the return leg of the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League against Real Madrid, and was given a standing ovation by the fans at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid; Roma lost the match 2–0, however, and were eliminated from the competition following a 4–0 aggregate loss.[82] On 20 April, he came off the bench in the 86th minute, one goal down to Torino at home to rescue the team with a brace; one in the 87th minute and a penalty in the 89th minute to win the match 3–2.[83] With his 69th goal in Serie A from the penalty spot, he overtook Baggio as the outright top scorer of penalties in Serie A history.[84] On 2 May, Totti came off the bench and scored from a free-kick to help Roma to come from behind and achieve a 3–2 away win over Genoa; this was his 21st goal from a free-kick in Serie A, which put him alongside Baggio as the joint all-time fourth highest scorer of free kicks in Serie A history, behind only Del Piero, Pirlo, and Siniša Mihajlović. Totti came off the bench in each of the past five Serie A games and contributed four goals and an assist.[85][86]
Totti first came into international prominence while playing in FIFA and UEFA youth tournaments. With the Italy under-16 side, under manager Sergio Vatta, Totti reached the final of the 1993 UEFA European Under-16 Championship in Turkey, Italy were defeated 1–0 by Poland as Totti missed the final due to suspension.[87] Four months later, Totti played in 1993 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Japan and scored the only Italy's goal in that tournament as the Azzurrini were eliminated in group stage.[88] Totti also scored in Italy’s 4–1 defeat to Spain in the final of the UEFA Under-18 Championship, in July 1995.[89] He subsequently won the UEFA Under-21 Championship with Italy in 1996, under manager Cesare Maldini; in the final, he opened the scoring as the match ended in a 1–1 draw against the Spanish, although Italy were able to win the final on penalties.[90] The following year, he also played a key role in helping Italy to win a gold medal at the 1997 Mediterranean Games, on home soil, scoring twice throughout the tournament.[91][92] Thanks to his great contribution in these tournaments, Totti was later included in the all-time Under-21 EURO dream team in 2015.[93]
After starring with the Azzurrini in Italy's Under-16, Under-19, and Under-21 sides, Totti earned his first senior cap for Italy under the recently appointed international manager Dino Zoff, during a 2–0 Euro 2000 qualifying victory against Switzerland, on 10 October 1998.[94] Totti scored his first goal for Italy on 26 April 2000, in a 2–0 friendly win over Portugal, in Reggio Calabria.[95] He scored his first brace for Italy in a 2006 FIFA World Cup Qualifying match, in a 4–3 home win over Belarus, on 13 October 2004.[96] In total, Totti has made 58 appearances for Italy between 1998 and 2006, scoring 9 goals.[97][98]
Italy went to Euro 2000 with Totti in excellent form; overall, he scored 2 goals and provided an assist during the tournament.[99] His first goal of the tournament came against co-host nation Belgium in the first round, as Totti headed in Albertini's cross from a set-piece.[100] His second goal of the tournament came against Romania in the quarter-finals, with an accurate strike following Fiore's assist.[101] In Italy's semi-final shootout victory over co-hosts the Netherlands, Totti's confidently chipped penalty was named as one of the "magic moments" of the tournament.[102][103]
Though Italy lost to defending World Cup ChampionsFrance 2–1 in extra time in the final, Totti was named the man of the match, and he started the play which led to Delvecchio's opening goal; Totti sent an unmarked Pessotto down the right wing with a back-heel pass, allowing him space to cross the ball into the area, where it was put into the net by Delvecchio.[104][105] Later during the second half of the match, Totti provided two scoring opportunities for Alessandro Del Piero, which the Juventus forward was unable to convert.[106] Totti was selected for the 22-man Team of the Tournament due to his performances throughout the European Championship.[107]
2002 World Cup
After being handed the number 10 shirt and Italy's playmaking duties, much was expected of Totti in his début World Cup under manager Giovanni Trapattoni.[108] Despite a promising start at the 2002 FIFA World Cup held in Japan/Korea, as he set-up Vieri's first goal in Italy's 2–0 opening win over Ecuador,[109] disappointment followed however, with Totti failing to score or make a significant impact throughout the tournament. Despite helping to set up Vieri's goal in a disappointing and controversial 2–1 defeat to Croatia in Italy's second group match,[110] also hitting the post from a free-kick, his lacklustre performances throughout the tournament were later criticised by the Italian media, in particular as he missed several scoring opportunities in Italy's 1–1 draw against Mexico in their final group match, as Italy narrowly qualified for the knockout stage.[111][112]
Despite setting up Vieri's goal in Italy's second round defeat to co-hosts South Korea from a corner,[113] his performance was once again criticised,[114] in particular as during extra-time, he was sent off after being handed a controversial second yellow card by referee Byron Moreno for an alleged dive in the penalty area.[115]
Euro 2004
Although he was once again expected to be Italy's star player in the number-10 role, Totti acquired a measure of infamy at Euro 2004 after he spat at Danish midfielder Christian Poulsen in a goalless draw on 14 June 2004. He was subsequently banned until the semifinals,[116] but never made it back to action and finished the competition scoreless due to Italy's elimination in the first round on direct encounters, following a three-way five point tie with Sweden and Denmark.[117]
Despite injury troubles, Totti recovered in time to join the national team for their victorious 2006 World Cup campaign, in spite of not having had much match practice during his three months on the sidelines. Italy manager Marcello Lippi showed enormous faith in Totti, assuring him during his rehabilitation that his spot in the Azzurri World Cup team was secure and to focus on recuperating. This encouragement and show of faith fueled Totti's desire to work even harder to overcome what could have been a career-ending injury and make it to the World Cup against all odds (and much of the Italian media's opinion).[118]
Totti did recuperate in time and played the entire time in Germany with metal plates in his ankle that had yet to be removed following the surgery. He was an important player in Marcello Lippi's team, playing in all seven games for Italy, including the victorious final against France. Throughout the tournament, he usually played as an attacking midfielder, behind strikers Luca Toni, Alberto Gilardino, Vincenzo Iaquinta, or Filippo Inzaghi, alongside Andrea Pirlo in a creative-midfield pairing. These players were supported defensively by Gattuso, Perrotta, and De Rossi in midfield. Totti, along with his team mate Pirlo, as well as Riquelme, Schweinsteiger, and Figo, finished the tournament with the most assists (4).[119] Throughout the World Cup, Totti set up Pirlo's goal from a short corner in Italy's opening match against Ghana,[120]Materazzi's goal from a corner in Italy's final group match against the Czech Republic,[121] and two goals against Ukraine in the quarter-finals, those by Zambrotta and one of Toni's goals;[122] Totti also scored a goal via an injury time penalty in Italy's 1–0 round-of-16 win over Australia on 26 June.[123] In recognition of a successful tournament, Totti was selected for the 23-man All-Star Team.[124]
Retirement
Totti intended to retire from the Azzurri after the end of the World Cup, but reneged on his decision and remained undecided on his future for over a year, not being called up in the meantime. He made his retirement official on 20 July 2007, at the beginning of the 2007–08 Serie A season, due to recurring physical problems,[125] and in order to focus solely on club play with Roma.[97] Then-Italy coach, Roberto Donadoni attempted to get Totti to change his mind for the remaining Euro 2008 qualifiers but was not successful.[126]
After the national team reunited with Marcello Lippi, Totti announced that he would play in the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa if he got called up.[127] However, there was no official statement release from Totti or Lippi about a possible comeback.[128] In the event, Totti was not named in the final squad, and Italy was subsequently eliminated, finishing last in their group, their worst ever group stage result in World Cup history. Diego Maradona and former national teammates Fabio Cannavaro and Gianluigi Buffon said one of the reasons for Italy's early exit is that the Azzurri lack creative players like Totti.[129]
In March 2013, the former Italy coach, Cesare Prandelli stated that he would consider Totti's comeback for 2014 World Cup.[130][131] In October 2013, Prandelli said: "Totti is in fantastic form. His condition right now does make you reflect. If the World Cup was around the corner, I would have no doubts and would absolutely call him up. But we will evaluate the player's condition one month prior to the World Cup."[132] However, at the time of the choice of the final 23-man Italian squad for the World Cup, the Italy coach excluded the Roma striker, preferring to focus the team around younger players,[133] receiving numerous criticisms by the entire Italian football movement. Among these, also former Brazilian international footballer Cafu, who also played for Roma and Milan, who revealed that he would have liked to see Totti competing for Italy at the World Cup in Brazil, and that he preferred the Roma captain over Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.[134] Without Totti, Italy was eliminated in the first round for the second consecutive time after South Africa 2010, finishing third in their group.[135][136]
"Totti is immortal and he is a symbol of our sport. I only regret not having worked with him."
—Carlo Ancelotti, former Italian midfielder and three time Champions League winning football manager.[142]
A classic number 10, throughout his long career at his hometown club, Roma, Totti has predominantly played as an offensive-midfieldplaymaker, or as a supporting or deep-lying forward, behind the main striker;[143] only in the later years of his Roma career was he mainly employed as a main striker.[144] An elegant, tactically versatile, and technically gifted attacking midfielder, with a good knowledge of the game, Totti is capable of playing anywhere along the front-line, and has also been deployed as a winger or as a midfield playmaker under Zeman,[145][146][147] and most notably as a false-9 under Spalletti and Garcia.[144][148][149] While being a prolific goal-scorer, and an accurate finisher (he is currently the sixth highest goal scoring Italian in club competitions), he is also renowned for his technique, vision, creativity, and range of passing, as well as his ability to play the ball first-time, set the pace in midfield, and provide throughballs and assists for his teammates, occasionally through long balls or lobbed passes, or even through his trademark use of the backheel, when playing with his back to goal.[143][144][150][151][152][153][154][155] His role has at times been described as that of a hardworking, generous, quick and dynamic centre forward.[14][144] Known for his work-rate and defensive contribution, during his time under Zeman, Totti underwent an athletic development: he undertook a muscle strengthening programme to adapt to the rhythms of 21st century football, gaining physical strength, stamina, fitness, and shooting power, to the detriment of some of his speed and agility.[23]
Regarded as one of the most talented Italian players of all time, and by some as Italy's greatest player ever,[7][8][9] Totti's principal characteristics are his vision, acceleration, ball control, balance, dribbling, precise passing, and powerful and accurate shooting ability, from both inside and outside the area, with either foot, despite being naturally right-footed;[9][143][150][152] he is also an accurate penalty kick[156] and free kick taker.[12][157] Totti has also performed the cucchiaio (chipped shot), which roughly translates to "spoon" in English, on several occasions, and has often used this gesture on penalties;[158][159] one of the most famous instances in which Totti performed this type of penalty kick was in the shoot-out of Italy'sEuro 2000 semi-final match against the Netherlands.[158] One of his most famous lobbed goals is the one he scored against Inter, where he dribbled past Materazzi before chipping the ball over Julio Cesar; it was later named the best goal in Serie A of the 2005–06 season.[160] He scored another notable goal using this technique against Lazio, in the 2002 Derby della Capitale, which ended in a 5–1 win for Roma.[161] Because of his penchant for scoring goals using this particular gesture, the title of his 2006 autobiography Tutto Totti: Mo je faccio er cucchiaio (English: All about Totti: I'm gonna chip him now) references this technique, as well as the statement made to his Italy team mates before his memorable Euro 2000 semifinal shootout penalty against the Netherlands.[158][162][163]
Goal celebrations
Totti is known for his exuberant and humorous goal celebrations. One of his famous celebrations took place on 11 April 1999 in the second Derby della Capitale of the 1998–99 season, in which he scored during the final minutes of the game and celebrated by flashing a T-shirt under his jersey, which read "Vi ho purgato ancora" ("I've purged you guys again"), in reference to events at the previous derby against Lazio on 29 November 1998 when Totti helped Roma come back from 3–1 down with an assist to Eusebio Di Francesco for 3–2 and finally a goal of his own for 3–3.[164] Another derby goal against Lazio saw him take over a sideline camera and aim it at the Roma fans.[164]
Totti has displayed numerous T-shirts with messages on them from under his jersey over the years, including two for his wife; "6 Unica" ("You're One of a kind") and "6 Sempre Unica" ("You're Still the One"),[164] and a political one "Liberate Giuliana" ("Free Giuliana") in honor of Giuliana Sgrena, an Italian journalist kidnapped in 2005 by insurgents in Iraq, who was later freed. The most recent message was "Scusate il Ritardo" ("Sorry for the delay") which he flashed on 8 January 2012 as an apology to fans for his goal-scoring drought after scoring his first goal of the season versus Chievo.[164]
As a tribute to his then-pregnant wife, Ilary Blasi, Totti imitated a childbirth scene by stuffing the ball under his shirt and lying on his back while his teammates extracted the ball. His current ritual of sucking his thumb after a goal began after his son was born and continued after the birth of his daughter. Blasi has revealed that Totti also sucks his thumb in dedication to her and not just for their children.[165][166]
On 11 January 2015, Totti scored twice against Lazio in the Derby della Capitale, as Roma came back from 2–0 down, he took a selfie with the Roma fans.[167]
Totti's wife Ilary Blasi is a former showgirl who has been a co-host of Italia 1's hit show Le Iene since 2007. When the couple married on 19 June 2005 at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, their wedding was aired on television with the proceeds being donated to charity. They had their first child, Cristian, on 6 November 2005. Their second child, a daughter named Chanel, was born on 13 May 2007. The couple has often been referred to as the "Italian Beckhams" and their private lives are often speculated upon in Italian magazines and tabloids.[168] On 10 March 2016, the couple gave birth to their third child, Isabel.[169] Totti is a Roman Catholic.[170][171]
Totti's brother Riccardo[170] serves as his agent,[172] and manages many of his brand and business interests, under the name "Number Ten", including the Francesco Totti Academy, a football training school, and the Totti Soccer School, is a football camp for children with disabilities. Totti also owns a motorcycle racing team called Totti Top Sport.[173]
Totti became a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF in 2003,[174][175] and an ambassador for the FIFA/SOS Children's Villages in January 2006. As a fundraiser for a children's charity, he published two best-selling, self-effacing joke books containing jokes the locals often told about him and his teammates. Some of the jokes were filmed in short sketches featuring himself with good friends and national teammates Alessandro Del Piero, Gianluigi Buffon, Christian Vieri, Antonio Cassano, Marco Delvecchio, Alessandro Nesta and former national team coach Giovanni Trapattoni in a short show called La sai l'ultima di Totti. On the 16 January 2008 he appeared as “PaperTotti” in a famous Comic book. The proceeds of the subscriptions were given to charity. The Roma captain's official testimonial was a fund raising match between singers and celebrities played on the 12 May 2008 to help raise money for the construction of the “Campus Produttivo della Legalità e della Solidarietà” (Productive Campus of Legality and Solidarity).[176] In 2009, Totti helped launch a new campaign promoting "Football Adopting Abandoned Children", which came about in collaboration with the ‘Friends of Children’ and the Association of Italian Players. In the project, he adopted a team of around 11 young Kenyans to play football in Nairobi, and then to coach them along the way.[177] In 2015, Totti and several of his teammates took to the pitch for "Tennis with Stars" in the Foro Italico in Rome, an event to help disadvantaged children. Tennis players such as Novak Djokovic and Flavia Pennetta participated at the event.[178]
Totti has featured in EA Sports' FIFA video game series; he starred on the cover of the Italian edition of FIFA 2002.[182] He also featured on the cover of Pro Evolution Soccer 4 along with Thierry Henry and Italian referee Pierluigi Collina.[183] Between 2005 and 2008 his sponsors changed to sportswear company Diadora and soft drink Pepsi Twist, with a commercial filmed in the camps of Trigoria by director Gabriele Muccino. Since May 2006, he has appeared in advertisements for telephone company Vodafone. In December 2006 Totti and his wife Ilary Blasi lent their voices to an Italian dubbing of an episode of the television series The Simpsons entitled Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play, in which Totti voiced Buck Mitchell.[184]
In 2007 he appeared in the movie L'allenatore nel Pallone 2 in the role of a defense attorney. Since 2008 he has participated several times in the television program "C'è posta per te". in the second series of the Italian drama "Cesaroni", in the reality show Grande Fratello 8 and in an episode of "Paperissima". In September 2008 a collection of figurines dedicated to him appeared in newsstands in the Lazio region entitled "Francesco Totti, the captain".[185] In 2009, Totti sent a message of support to Iranian youths during the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests.[186][187] In February 2010, Totti was named an ambassador for online poker company Party Poker.[188] In May 2010, Totti appeared alongside actor Russell Crowe in Rome to promote the special edition of the film Gladiator, celebrating the tenth year of the film's release.[189] In December 2014, two murals of Totti, sponsored by Nike, were created in Rome.[190][191] In 2014, the Swiss artist David Diehl painted Totti as one of 16 football icons most beloved by their fans.[192][193] In 2015, France Football rated him one of the 10 best footballers in the world who are over the age of 36.[194] In 2015, Totti's famous selfie celebration was included amongst the goal celebrations available for FIFA 16 and Pro Evolution Soccer 2016; he also took a selfie in the official trailer of the game on YouTube.[195][196]
^"Totti su punizione: 20 di gloria". laroma24.it (in Italian). 19 March 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
^In Italianfootball jargon, fare il cucchiaio (English: do the "spoon", take a "spoon" shot) is a colloquial expression used when taking a chip shot or a Panenka penalty.
^"Totti's Goal Celebration Is For Wife Blasi". Football Italiano. 5 January 2009. Archived from the original on 1 June 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2011. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 13 January 2010 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^Thomas Simon (19 May 2015). "Le top 10 des meilleurs vieux" (in French). France Football. Retrieved 4 August 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
Fernando Acitelli, Francesco Totti. Il tribuno di Porta Latina, Arezzo, Limina, 2002. ISBN 88-86713-79-7 (Francesco Totti. The tribune of Porta Latina)
Mario Sconcerti, La differenza di Totti, Arezzo, Limina, 2004. ISBN 88-88551-45-X (The difference of Totti)
Francesco Bovaio, con Cristiano Ditta, Francesco Totti. Semplicemente numero dieci, Milano, Giunti Editore, 2006. ISBN 88-09-04780-X (Francesco Totti. Simply number ten)
Massimo Cecchini, Francesco Totti. Vita, parole e imprese dell'ultimo gladiatore, Roma, Aliberti, 2009. ISBN 88-74244-93-2 (Totti. Life, words and feats of the last gladiator)
Tonino Cagnucci, Francesco Totti. dai politici al cuore, Roma, Limina, 2010. ISBN 88-60410-56-8 (Francesco Totti. From politicians to heart)
Gianluca Tino, L'invasione degli UltraTotti, Roma, Eraclea, 2010. ISBN 88-88771-22-0 (The invasion of UltraTotti)
Francesca Spaziani Testa, Francesco Totti minuto per minuto, Firenze-San Casciano V.P, Castelvecchi, 2012. ISBN 88-76156-85-2 (Francesco Totti minute by minute)
Francesco Costantini, Totteide. (Poema epico), Roma, Imprimatur, 2013. ISBN 88-68300-34-6 (Totteide. Epic poem)
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