Francesco Totti confirms he’ll be a Roma director – “my part as a footballer is over”.
The Giallorossi legend played his final game for the club on May 28, his 786th appearance for the club he joined as a youngster in 1989.
“I want to start with the end of my career,” Totti began in his interview with Roma TV.
“May 28 was a historic day, one which affected me so much. It’s a day which will always stay with me. It’s difficult to explain the feelings and emotions I felt on that day.
Francesco Totti confirms he’ll be a Roma director – “my part as a footballer is over”.
The Giallorossi legend played his final game for the club on May 28, his 786th appearance for the club he joined as a youngster in 1989.
“I want to start with the end of my career,” Totti began in his interview with Roma TV.
“May 28 was a historic day, one which affected me so much. It’s a day which will always stay with me. It’s difficult to explain the feelings and emotions I felt on that day.
“My part as a footballer is over, now I start another important role as a director, hoping to do what I did as a footballer on the green pitch.
“Football was everything for me, it was my passion, something which touched everything important in my body.
“I think you understand that I never wanted that day [May 28] to end, it was too important, too meaningful, too exciting.
“It covered 25 years of history with Roma, the pitch gave me so much and I tried to give as much as I could to the people who showed me so much love.
“It’s normal that now the two things are different, one was my main job and now there’s a different thing. Having experience in football will give me more of a chance of helping though.
“I’m starting from the beginning, it’s a new phase and a new adventure is beginning. I’ve taken this time to reflect and I’ll integrate into this club step-by-step as I understand the role which suits me best.
“I’ll make myself completely available, from the youth sector to the President [James Pallotta].
“Who do I want to thank? It’d take over a week. I want to thank everyone, friends, family, all the Coaches I have had, players, Presidents who made me unique in this city.
“Even now it’s not easy to think about the future. Some were already talking about the future and what I could do, but until May 28 I was thinking about football, having fun and contributing to the team.
“Now I’ve turned the page and I’m thinking about this chance I have to work with Roma, with Monchi, with President Pallotta, [Mauro] Baldissoni, [Coach Eusebio] Di Francesco… all of them.
“I have the fortune of knowing all of them, some well and some less so. Whenever you change your job, you have to have the opportunity to get to know the atmosphere.
“I want to be all or nothing, I want to be important for Roma and understand what I can do.
“I’ve talked to Monchi and we had a great chat, we’ll have the time and the opportunities to get to know each other better.
“I’ve talked to Pallotta about some little things which weren't clear a few years ago. We’re fired-up and we’ll try to take the team as high as possible.
“I’ve talked to Di Francesco and we have a great relationship. I’ve kept in touch with him even when he wasn’t Roma Coach, he’s a great person and a great man who brings added value to the team.
"My title? Just call me Francesco, as always.
“What will be written on my business card? Francesco, AS Roma.”