We Don’t Have Totti to Kick Around Anymore
By: Martha | July 20th, 2007
As has been assumed since his press conference was announced yesterday, 30-year-old Francesco Totti retired from international football today.
Though anyone announcing his departure from the national team while also saying “I don’t like the word ‘end’” sounds to me like someone who wants to be begged to return, Totti claims he’s done for good, something he told Roberto Donadoni about a month ago. As he’s been saying since the World Cup, Totti reiterated that the issue is his health: He’s physically unable to play regularly for both Roma and the Azzurri, and he’s choosing at this point in his career to make the former his priority.
Totti played 58 games in his Azzurri career, scoring nine goals. It’s a cliché to say it now, but he never really lived up to his potential for the Auzzurri, either torpedoing his own efforts (by, say, spitting on an oppositing player and getting suspended) or simply failing to perform. As a result, football fans outside of Italy tend to think of him as hugely overrated, having never seen the magic he works for Roma; hopefully this announcement will prolong that magic for another several years. (As well as stopping people from talking about him when time comes to select the team for the September qualifiers.)
Category: 
Subscribe
|
Print
|
Share
      |
Comments
-
Though I am a little bummed, I can still see a return. He saw what Zidane did last summer. Maybe he makes a stunning return at Euro 2008. Especially after a Scudetto at ROMA.
Posted from
United States
-
Now I can go on and hate this jackass full time. Not fully realized his potential? Understatement of the day. Totti is a great player when he’s in the confines of the Stadio Olimpico and the tifosi are kissing his ring. Get him out of Rome and…not so much.
Posted from
United States
Comments are closed
Home 
