Luciano Spalletti says “Roma and Francesco Totti are different things” but does praise his captain.
The pair have had a strained relationship since the Coach returned to the club in January, though Er Pupone has rescued a point in the Giallorossi’s last two games, with an assist against Bologna and a goal at Atalanta.
“Totti and Roma are different things,” Spalletti noted as he was repeatedly asked about the forward in his pre-Torino Press conference.
Luciano Spalletti says “Roma and Francesco Totti are different things” but does praise his captain.
The pair have had a strained relationship since the Coach returned to the club in January, though Er Pupone has rescued a point in the Giallorossi’s last two games, with an assist against Bologna and a goal at Atalanta.
“Totti and Roma are different things,” Spalletti noted as he was repeatedly asked about the forward in his pre-Torino Press conference.
“He saved Roma, I agree, but that’s not the same as saying Roma were just Totti.
“You only talk about Totti because he’s someone who made history with Roma. I’ll try to find another four or five Tottis, because we need players of his class here.
“We have to find or develop another four or five players of that level.
“As I said, we have to find another Totti. I have to find other players like him, and in doing so moderate the messages that are sent to the team, but it’s right that the merits go to the team too.
“Totti was written about just as much during the winning streak, others were written about too, but the comparison with [Edin] Dzeko made me intervene.
“Totti is strong regardless, that doesn’t mean you have to say he should play instead of Dzeko or that Dzeko must go away.
“I’m the Coach, I have to enforce the rules and see what happens in the dressing room, but that being said if you’re picking on the wrong targets I must say the correct things.
“With the Totti goal in Bergamo, I actually thought the most beautiful thing was the ball he played later. But why not talk about the great play by [Diego] Perotti?
“We need Perotti too. Francesco has probably played less, but I keep him in consideration, if that wasn’t the case then I wouldn’t play him when the team needs him.
“For me, we were in a position where we could use his class, it would have been bad if I put him on after a score of 3-0. I used him when I had to turn a game around.
“Have I played down what he’s done? I say that there’s a captain, and then there’s a team.
“I look at the team. When I’m at training, I have no father, no mother and no children, I have just one goal: winning for Roma.
“I make choices based on that. If you look at what we’ve done, we’ve won a lot of games without Totti. The other players have value, and I have to take that into account.
“I’m sorry if Francesco interprets that differently. I’ve always said that if he doesn’t play and the team wins then well done to the others and I’m sorry for Totti.
“I can see who wants to play and who is training well. Rules, objectives and principles all come down to winning for Roma. The same goes for choices.
“When I need him, I’ll play Francesco and I’ll be happy if he turns the result for me and the team.”