A biography for Francesco Tottihasn’t been written yet.
“The Santiago Bernabeu is an amazing stadium.”
“The first part of my life, as a player, has ended but now I'm heading into an equally important part as a manager, hoping to do as well as I did on the field.”
“Over the years, I've tried to express myself through my feet, which have made everything simpler for me ever since I was a child.”
“I would tell the young Francesco Totti to repeat everything that the older Totti did - if he's able to!”
“I was born Roman, and I'll die Roman. I'll never leave this team or my city.”
“Winning one league title at Roma, to me, is worth winning 10 at Juventus or Real Madrid.”
“Football, to me, is a passion, more than a game. It is everything. But more than anything, it is love for Roma. I have always been Roma. There has never been anything else.”
“Before being a player, I was a diehard fan of Roma, so I know what the fans felt when we won.”
“Playing further up the pitch, you have more opportunities to score and provide assists, and it's something I liked right from the start.”
“I am fortunate to have only worn one shirt in my career. It is something that is fundamental to me. It is something I have always wanted: to be one of these few who wear only one shirt - a fan and a player of the same team.”
“When I do retire, I will miss the trips with the team, the jokes with my teammates, the habits: having breakfast with them, playing with them, all the little things.”
“I never thought about money; otherwise, I would have left aged 26 when Real Madrid and Barcelona wanted me.”
“I am not thinking about life after football, but I know it will be another life, another world.”
“To the children of yesterday, who have grown up and become parents, and to the children of today, who perhaps shout 'Tottigol,' I'd like to think that, for you, my career has become a fairytale for you to pass on.”
“Being born Roman and Romanisti is a privilege.”
“The end of my playing career was May 28, 2017. That, for me, was an historic day. I'll carry it with me forever. It will be hard to explain to people the feelings and emotions I felt that day.”
“I find it easier to strike the ball with my instep across goal. But I've scored in loads of other ways, too.”
“During a game, it comes down to your mind - the pressure. There are loads of other aspects, too. Many people say taking penalties is easy, but when you're stood over one, that's not the case. It's in no way easy. The goal really does become a lot smaller.”
“The game has given me so much, and I tried to give so much back to the people who have showed me so much love day after day.”
“There aren't many athletes who follow their hearts. They choose to go somewhere to win more and earn more money. They're like gypsies.”