Totti complains about lack of opportunities for him at Roma: “Nobody calls me.” | OneFootball

Roma legend Francesco Totti gave a lengthy interview to Il Messaggero in which he discussed his exclusion from the club.

During the interview, Totti was specifically asked how come he doesn’t have a role at Roma, the club which he played for his entire career.

“I don’t know, maybe too much loyalty, excessive sincerity. Maybe I’m a cumbersome figure. What I say is taken into consideration, what others say, less so. It’s as if they were afraid of having an important figure within the club,” said Totti, “they believe someone like me wouldn’t help, but that’s not true. I could.”

“But it’s not up to me. If nobody calls me… I’m not the one knocking at the door.”

“I would never be a sporting director, but maybe I would see myself in a role like the one held by Ibrahimovic or Zanetti: a point of reference between the club, the team and the coach. In short, a figure like that of the technical director. Someone who shows his face, who tells things like they are, it’s very simple. An operational assignment, not one to be called only when there are problems.”

“De Rossi? I have never had any problems with Daniele. For him I wouldn’t give a hand, but an arm, to make him feel good and calm. Also because, as it should be, if I worked for the club it would be as if I were working for Daniele. We would walk together.”

“Other teams have called me but I remain loyal to Roma,” he declared. “If I were to work for any other club it would be a disaster for Roma.”

“I’m just disappointed. Also because for what I did for Roma, for the club, for everyone, I expected something different. Every two, three, four, five years the ownership changes and whoever arrives has his own ideas and thoughts. And in the end they are to be respected.”

Totti also weighed in on the club’s recent summer transfer market campaign, which included the notable acquisitions of Matias Soule, Artem Dovbyk, and Manu Kone.

“Do I like this Roma? I still haven’t understood it honestly. In the end this transfer window was a mix of players, some who came before, some later. A lot of money has been invested. With 70 million euros I would have made other choices, I would have spent it differently. Certainly not for two players, I would have signed four-five. Dovbyk? The attacker certainly had to be taken and in that case less than thirty is difficult.”“Dybala? I stand by what I said earlier. I have always had the utmost respect and admiration also because I have always said that Roma’s strongest player must therefore be protected. But now let’s see how they will handle it. What happened recently was perhaps a misunderstanding or a misunderstanding, we’ll see.”

“Seeing the crazy spending Roma have done on the transfer market, they have to get to the Champions League, of course. If you invest 100 million and don’t get there it’s a total failure. Also because without the Champions League, Daniele will get sacked.”

“Daniele must surround himself with people he trusts. He must make himself respected. He must turn to his staff, to the people who are close to him, those who can give him a hand, who try to make him understand his mistakes. Daniele has a strong, valid working group. I hope and think that he will succeed because he knows the place, the environment and club well.”

“Even if at the moment he is the only one who can be Roma’s coach, he still runs risks. But let’s go back to the usual discussion, if there is a strong club that comes out and speaks clearly about the objectives, then nothing bad can happen. In this way the fans know everything. Instead, now the blame, if things don’t go well, would fall entirely on Daniele.”

“This is what happened to Mourinho, because José showed his face. But no one helped him, no one spoke. Afterwards it’s tough, going against six million people. And it lasts, because you can be whoever you want, if you don’t bring results, you become the scapegoat. But Daniele is aware of it.”

“Did you see what they said to him after these first games? What he did last year is already the past. Everyone has forgotten, what he did as a footballer has also passed. These are the positive and negative sides of football. We forget easily, look what happened with me. And then it’s one thing to be a footballer, another to be a coach. He now has responsibility for everything.”

“Pellegrini? I love Lorenzo, but then there is only the pitch that counts. If you don’t express yourself at your best in there, you can be whoever you want. He hasn’t played as he should lately. Unfortunately it is the reality of the facts, Rome is a particular place and the reactions are to be expected. People want attachment to the shirt, but also that they play one hundred percent. And he, being captain, has greater responsibilities than the others.”