Arsenal
Aston Villa
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
Everton
Fulham
Leeds United
Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United
Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest
Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
Wolverhampton Wanderers
are reporting that Roma have confirmed that Francesco Totti will bring an end to an illustrious 24 year playing career at the end of the season.
The club’s new sporting director Monchi informed the Italian media in mid-week that this would be Totti’s final campaign as a player, with the 40-year-old set to make his last appearance for the Giallorossi against Genoa on Sunday 28th May.
However, there has been a suggestion that the attacking midfielder will continue his affinity with the club and could be set to take up a position as a director whilst it also worth noting that the attacker has yet to confirm his retirement in person.
The King of Rome
Francesco Totti has cemented his position as a genuine club-legend at Roma with his ability, charisma and clear passion for the Giallorossi making him admired, loved and cherished by the supporters. He has been crowned as the ‘King of Rome’ and his retirement will signal an end to a playing career that started 24 years ago when he made his debut in 1993.
The 40-year-old has made over 600 appearances for Roma and has scored in excess of 250 goals whilst also captaining the club for over a decade – no other player has represented the club on more occasions whilst he is also the second highest goal scorer in Serie A history. He has won two league titles and two Coppa Italia’s in addition to also claiming a host of individual awards including the European Golden Boot and a dozen player of the season, top goal scorer and goal of the season accolades.
However, it is Totti’s dedication to Roma that has made him adored by the club’s supporters. Despite being subject to multiple approaches from rival clubs the talismanic figure has never demonstrated a desire to leave Rome and he is a rare example of a player choosing to spend his entire playing career with one team.
Totti has also achieved success at international level and scored nine goals in 58 appearances for the Italian national senior team after representing the country at all levels from the age of 15. He was part of the Italian team that won the 2006 World Cup in Germany and has been described as being one of Italy’s greatest players.
In short, the ‘King of Rome’ has earned his title as greatest ever player.
What next for Roma and Totti?
Roma are set to enter a new era under the stewardship of the recently appointed sporting director Monchi, but they will have to face the future without the talismanic figure of Francesco Totti.
Monchi rose to prominence in Spain where the philosophy and transfer policy that he implemented at Sevilla turned the club into one of European football’s emerging powers.
His arrival at Roma will signal the start of an extensive rebuilding project both on and off the pitch as the Giallorossi attempted to win a major honour for the first time in almost a decade.
It comes as little surprise that Totti, at 40 years of age and having made just one start in Serie A this campaign, is set to retire from football just at the moment that the club is about to experience a dramatic overhaul.
Monchi and Roma’s general director Mauro Baldissoni have suggested that they would like Totti to continue his affiliation with the club and it is likely that the 40-year-old will accept a position as a director.
Speaking over the weekend, Baldissoni insisted that, “[Totti] will get to live many more derbies, only they’ll be off the pitch” whilst Monchi has insisted that he wants “to be as close to [Totti] as possible. I would love to learn even 1% of the huge amount that he knows [about the club]”.
The talismanic attacker will undoubtedly still have a significant role to play at Roma in the future, albeit behind the scenes rather than on the pitch.
When Totti hangs up his boots at the end of the month football will have the opportunity to admire and applaud a true legend of the modern game.
All hail the ‘King of Rome’.
Featured Image: All Rights Reserved Robin Jansson ()