Former Roma manager Luciano Spalletti – currently in charge of Napoli – went over the relationship with Roma legend Francesco Totti in detail in a recent interview with DAZN. The two had infamously feuded in Totti’s last year at the club which eventually marked the end of Spalletti’s time with the Giallorossi in 2017.
“Everybody at the club knew I was going to leave at the end of the season,” said the Italian technician. “Totti retired when I left Roma, but he could have continued without me being there.”
“I have all of his jerseys. He was a pivotal player for me, pivotal in the way he contributed to the team and in terms of personality and bringing the whole fanbase together.”
“I still have the jersey we brought him when he got injured. He’s the kind of player who doesn’t care about talking on the pitch – he just pulls the team on his own.”
“When playing in the Champions League, if there was someone who did not have the personality to take the ball and make the play, he took that responsibility upon himself.”
“I’m sorry about the way it ended because I had a great relationship with him. I really do fall in love with my players because my dream as a child had always been to work and share the locker room with such players.”
When asked about Totti’s produced TV series Speravo de mori prima where Spalletti was portrayed as the main antagonist, Spalletti replied, “What I think is wrong, is that he should have made the show about himself, but he decided to make it about me and in a way made me much more popular.”
