The Return of the King?

January 24th, 2012 | by: samcalcio | Comments Off

Born in the Porta Metronia, Roma to Lorenzo and Fiorella Totti, son Francesco led a quiet childhood,  growing up in the inner city suburbs of Italy’s capital, idolising former Roma captain Guiseppe Giannini and playing football constantly with boys much older than him.

By the age of 8, Francesco was playing for youth team Fortitudo and attracting the attention of scouts around the peninsula. His mother even rejected a move to AC Milan, because she wished to remain in her home city.

However, it wasn’t long before Il Bimbo D’oro was playing for bigger clubs, moving through various youth sides and signing for Roma in 1989, aged just 13.

Since that day that Romanisti all around the planet must herald as their greatest coup, Totti has gone on to light up Italy, Europe and the world with nearly to decades of magical performances as one of the most talented players the Azzurri have ever been able to call upon, and Roma’s greatest ever player.

Encapsulating attention and plaudits for his vision, striking ability and legendary “cucchiaio” – the chip shot that has become his trademark, Totti is rightly regarded as one of a long line of great Number 10’s.

In a remarkable career played entirely in his home city, Totti racked up goal after goal, game changing performance after game changing performance – peaking twice during the first decade of the 21st century, leading his side to the Scudetto in 2000/1 as part of Fabio Capello’s wonderful Giallorossi, and winning the Golden Boot in 2006/7 under Luciano Spalletti, playing in the now famous “false 9″ position, as the head of an attacking 4-2-3-1.

After his penalty double at the weekend, Totti now stands at 211 Serie A goals, the most ever for an active player in Italy, and 5th on the all time list, recently overtaking the mighty Roberto Baggio. It is a wonderful feat, and one that will stand as an everlasting testament to his skill and longevity at the highest level.

Despite possessing such unerring natural ability, Er Pupone rarely tends to punctuate the cultural zeitgeist of neutral football fans, many citing his lack of trophies, or difficult attitude as reasons.

This, is an unfortunate inevitability that will follow around the Roman until he hangs up his rolled up socks and joins the mass media quarry that follow around the capital club, that he will always be judged by his lack of continued success at club level, and occasional moments of madness that really, only Totti can get away with.

From the spit at Christian Poulsen, to the elbowing of Martin Keown when the Englishmen picked up on Totti’s short fuse, Totti has has had his fair share of controversy and issues, not least shown by the occasional tantrums and manager spats that have since led to his nickname of “Er Pupone”, or the “Big Baby”.

However, these things should not cloud the achievements of a man who has let his entire career be run by the contours of loyalty and love for his home, who now stands as King of a mountain he has help build.

It stands as such that as a player who is still playing, to deserve a historical piece such as this, as his career deserves a plaudits in the same rank as those he now shares records with; Baggio, Del Piero, and the other one club greats; Maldini, Scirera, Baresi, Zanetti, etc.

And now, we stand in the twilight of Totti’s illustrious career, just as current Italy coach Cesare Prandelli announces that if Totti is in good physical shape, he could still write another chapter in his career, perhaps adding another finishing paragraph to a story that shot to stardom in the Euro’s 12 years ago.

It’d be a fitting addendum to his sporting career, who, after 19 years of goals, touches, press releases, televised weddings(really) and arguably the most talked about footballer in modern Italian football history, to have another moment in the spotlight, the same one that first thrust him into the worlds gaze.

The King of Rome could ride out again before his final abdication, and I don’t mind being a loyal subject. One last time.

Sam is on Twitter. It’s just as bad there, really. Good idea, right?