Back in 1993, an excited 16-year-old, who idolised former AS Roma captain Giuseppe Giannini, laced up his boots and stepped past the white lines to play for his beloved club. His dream had come true. Fast forward 21 years, with Roma trailing Manchester City in the Champions League, the kid, now a battle-hardened veteran, fired his side level with his trademark dinked finish and wheeled away with his right thumb in his mouth, an equally familiar celebration. Francesco Totti is still living the dream.
At 38, he is no longer the same player that he was once, but Totti showed change of pace and composure to score, making him the oldest scorer in Europe’s premier competition and show the world that he is still a force to be reckoned with.
Considered by many as one of the most gifted footballers of his generation, the Italian playmaker, ever a temperamental figure, has made his mark with his never-say-die attitude, superior ball control and pin-point passes and penchant for the remarkable — qualities that made him the highest scorer and most capped player for Roma and the second highest scorer in Serie A history with 235 goals.
Totti is also a rare breed in football as he has been with the capital club all his career, refusing to leave his beloved Roma in spite of interest from top clubs around the world. It’s a decision that has earned him just one league title, Supercoppa Italiana and two Coppa Italia, a far cry from what he could have achieved had he decided to ply his trade elsewhere. But his longevity is impressive. Granted that the slow pace of the Italian League has helped him as did the early retirement from international duties (he retired after the 2006 World Cup triumph). But his dedication to his craft and focus on keeping his body fit have been truly remarkable.
Despite his stature in Italy, the Roman has by and large never really received the same kind of recognition and adulation from the fans and the media in other parts of the world. While it can be reasoned that the lack of success of Roma in the Champions League and the dwindling appeal of Serie A has affected his standing outside Italy, one can only wonder how different it would have been had he moved when Real Madrid came calling in the early years of the millennium.
However, it seems the temperamental striker will finally get a chance to leave on a high. Roma are back in the Champions League after a lengthy absence and this could be the chance that the World Cup winner is waiting for to show his class. For Totti, it’s better late than never.
