Should AS Roma give the Captain’s armband to Daniele De Rossi? (Part 1)
Francesco Totti is wildly regarded as the best player in the glamorous history of AS Roma. The legend is one of the most loyal players on planet Earth. In his 18 year service for the club, the player has scored a stunning 192 league goals for Gilarossi - a feat that has made him the sixth highest goals scorer in the Serie A history. Needless to say, Totti is also the highest goal scorer in AS Roma’s history.
When a teenage Francesco Totti was approached by AC Milan with a lucrative offer, the contract was rejected by Mrs. Totti who wanted her son to play for no other club but AS Roma. The legend in the making joined the Roman youth ranks in 1989 and made his first team debut in 1992 at a tender age of sixteen.
By 1995, Francesco Totti had become a regular fixture in the AS Roma starting eleven. The young sensation was handed the esteemed captain’s armband at the age of 21 - a fact that bears testimony to the faith the Gilarossi hierarchy had in the forward’s abilities. Although Totti wasn’t taken to the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Er Pupone still won the Serie A young player of the year award in the 1998/99 season.
Francesco Totti’s crowning moment has to be the 2000/01 Scudetto triumph. The team coached by Fabio Capello had an inspired season. Francesco Totti was put in a trequartista role due to his outrageous passing abilities and the prodigy didn’t disappoint. Francesco Totti in full flow was a joy to behold as he tore the Serie A defences with the precision of a surgeon. His form was such that Francesco Totti won the Serie A player of the year award twice in succession while also receiving a Ballon d'Or nomination in 2000. Il Capitano as the fans had started calling him, had become a cult favourite. Wall paintings and posters of the legend can still be seen on the walls around the city of Rome.
Francesco Totti continued to terrorize Serie A oppositions with his direct running and delightful through balls. Despite Totti scoring a career high 20 league goals, AS Roma finished as the 2003/04 runners up to Milan. Such outrageous form earned him interest from continental giants Manchester United, Real Madrid and AC Milan. Real Madrid in particular wanted the talismanic as a direct replacement to the great Zinedine Zidane. Francesco Totti however, rejected the interest and voiced his desire to stay at AS Roma till the end of his career. Such breathtaking loyalty and commitment to the Roman cause brought Il Capitano even closer to the fans.
Francesco Totti was so wildly adored by the fans that he was slowly becoming bigger than the club. Following Capello’s overnight switch to Juventus, Roma was left in shambles. Francesco Totti had a fall out with almost every coach after that. As a result, the coaches were given the boot. Add to that, Totti was being given a salary that a club of Roma’s financial prowess simply couldn’t afford. Francesco has turned 34 now and it is arguable whether he has much to offer to the club. Totti reportedly earns a staggering 8.9 million Euros annually. No other player on the Gilarossi roster comes even close to the talisman. Last season when Totti was offered a 5 million annual salary offer, the captain simply refused to sign it. Francesco Totti should take a leaf out of Paolo Maldini’s books. The Milan legend took a voluntary wage cut towards the end of his career following Milan’s financial woes. Totti would justify such a wage if he was on his peak but that is hardly the case.
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