Francesco Totti made his Serie A debut 20 years ago today and he has no intention of bringing his Roma career to an end. “I want a renewal.”
The now 36-year-old was given his first taste of top-flight football by Vujadin Boskov, who used him as a substitute in a game at Brescia in 1993.
Francesco Totti made his Serie A debut 20 years ago today and he has no intention of bringing his Roma career to an end. “I want a renewal.”
The now 36-year-old was given his first taste of top-flight football by Vujadin Boskov, who used him as a substitute in a game at Brescia in 1993.
“Time has flown because I have done everything with passion,” the Giallorossi icon told the Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I hope that continues even if my contract will expire next season. I’m hoping in a renewal and I’ll speak directly to President James Pallotta about it next week when he arrives.”
Totti, a Roman who was brought up through the youth system, has spent his entire career with his hometown club – but he was close to joining Sampdoria and then Real Madrid.
“Had I gone to Genoa then I would never have come back to Roma,” he continued. “Then, before my penultimate renewal, I had decided to join Real Madrid.
“Then my contract and some personal issues pushed me to stay here. And I have never had any regrets about that.”
By staying in the capital, his trophy cabinet is limited to just one Serie A title, two Italian Cups and two Italian Super Cups.
“I could have won the Golden Ball in 2000,” he added. “Had Italy won the European Championship then I would have got it, as I also won the Scudetto that year.”
Totti lifted the World Cup with Italy in 2006 and Cesare Prandelli last week opened the door for World Cup 2014 selection.
“A World Cup is the maximum, especially in Brazil where football is everything. But if things went badly then everyone would know who to blame.
“The critics would say that Italy had taken an old guy who ruined the squad…”