When a certain sixteen year old kid joined Vujadin Boskov’s Roma side in 1992, no one knew that the same teenager end up to be a symbol for the Giallorossi, a club icon and most importantly, one of the very best of his generation. After 25 years of a topsy-turvy journey when the legend finally decided to hang up his boots after a 3-2 win against Genoa in the final day of the serie A, tears rolled down from the eyes of the football fanatics around the globe, cementing the legacy of a scintillating career that is coming to its end. This is the story of Francesco Totti, a Royal and Loyal Emperor.
A career spanning 25 years, where he scored 308 goals for the club in a record 786 appearances, Totti made it clear that he was Roma’s own, as he once famously said that, “winning the scudetto with Roma once is bigger than winning ten with Juventus or Real Madrid”. That was his love, passion and loyalty towards the club he loved, worshipped and played for. He went on to win a single serie A, two Coppa Italia’s and two supercopa’s in his glittering career, en route to become one of the most respected figures in the football arena. From becoming regular in the side from 1996 to gladly accepting his role as a super sub from 2014, the man had zero complaints, as his sole target was to raise the bar high, just like becoming the oldest goalscorer in the history of the champions league at 38 years and 3 days.
Although his international career has been a rocky road, as the burden of expectations resting on his shoulders made him unable to reciprocate his form, as he ended up being red carded against South Korea in 2002 World Cup and was banned from the 2004 Euro after allegedly spitting on Denmark goalkeeper out of frustration. Although, champions save their best for the grandest stage of them all as Totti was instrumental in helping Italy capture their fourth world title in 2006, providing four assists and scoring the decisive goal against Australia in the round of 16. Although he never appeared for the Azzuri’s again, still he remains a stalwart for the four time world champions and definitely a legend of the game.
Quoting various managers and colleagues of him, he was a gift to football lovers from Jesus, a monument of Italian football, and most importantly, probably one of the most loyal and respected figures of world football.
Adieus, Legend.