For the younger ones: when Francesco Totti played it was good at encouraging with his mouth almost as much as his feet. In 2003 he let slip that, since he had now won the championship, he would change sports and take up tennis. A few years later he admitted that Ilary Blasi was in favor of moving abroad: «And, as we know, women are always right». Open heaven: all the newspapers wrote that Francesco was ready to leave Rome. Almost twenty years have passed, Totti did not play for sevenbut the media’s echo of his words is always very strong.
It is no coincidence that there has been talk for some time about his great return to the pitch and yesterday he put the burden on him at theBetsson event. In true Totti style: encouraging, referring, admitting, affirming. «Of course I’m joking, but who knows, in the end I might go crazy». But what did the historic Roman captain really mean? Where does all this media resonance come from that made Arab and American TV stations call their entourage yesterday? Not only them: the research on Totti returns to the field 110% increase and on the web his name was 8 (8!) more searches than Roma’s name. Paradoxically: it was yet another favor that Francesco did for the love of his life, diverting attention for a while from the terrible start to the Giallorossi season.
Totti: “In two months I would be ready”
Good Was it just a provocation, his? No. Last season Francesco sought two foreign clubs and one Italian, this time by an Italian club that wanted to fill him with money to put him on the field for even 10 minutes per game. And him? He replied: “No, thank you.” Because he is respected, and the phenomenon he was, and that one shirt he always wore is respected. But… «In life, never say never. There have already been players in the past who returned to play after a few years. For Serie A I should train well. Several teams looked at me (one from Central Italy and one from the North, ed.). It happened a month ago and it made me a little crazy, a few thoughts. I said to myself: Why do they still ask me this after so many years? In 2 months I would be ready.”
Yes, why? Because Francesco’s talent is missing in Serie A and he knows it well, just as he knows it well – he is the first to recognize it, despite the stupid irony of some keyboard lions – that stop when you don’t feel ready, and they force. you, it leaves a trauma that is difficult to overcome. «I wouldn’t even consider Lazio. It’s just a joke: 2-3 months and I want to be ready. Maybe I’ll go to some locker room, bring the Chinese (the cones, ed.) and play for 20 minutes. Maybe Even when I stopped, something stayed inside me, as if I couldn’t close this window completely. 10 new in Serie A? It’s not there, but it could come back.”.
Totti and his Roma
Laugh, Totti, too expert not to know that his words will have an impact sensational effect around half the world. He is more serious, however, when he talks about Rome: «I hope we can turn the page as soon as possible. Inter, Juve and Napoli are stronger, we can play with the others until the end, the potential is there.”. What is missing is a man in society who can face it, inside and outside Trigoria: «There would be responsibilities, but former footballers who seem to us to be very narrow can help a lot, be in the background and serve the interests of the club».
This is what Totti wants to do. And then between chatter about water polo (“I like it but I’m cold”) and make fun of Yildiz (“He’s young, he suits up and starts, but he can be a good player”) the morning with Betsson slips quickly. Agencies are emerging he may return to the field, messages and phone calls arrive, social media explodes, websites too, televisions are activated. Everyone is thinking: “But really?”. Even if the thought crossed his mind. And for a while we all imagined it was just a joke.
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