'In two months I would be ready': Roma legend Francesco Totti hints at sensational return to Serie A
A football legend has hinted at a sensational return to playing - at the age of 48.
Francesco Totti hasn’t played top-flight football since 2017 - when he brought down the curtain on a glittering career that saw him play more than 600 times for Roma and score 250 goals. He also won 58 caps for Italy.
Speaking this week though, he lamented the lack of a number 10 playing in Serie A at the moment and said that if he trained well, “in two to three months I would be ready” - as he is still playing.
As quoted by La Gazetta della Sport, Totti, speaking at an event organised by Betsson, was bullish about his prospects.
"There were Serie A teams that called me", Totti said speaking of his hypothetical return to the field. "I admit that they made me think a little, a little crazy. It would be difficult, but in life you never say never. There are players who have played many years after the end of their career. It also depends on where you play, with all due respect, but if I were to return to Serie A I would have to train really well.”
According to La Gazetta he recently said "with the level of today's Serie A I could easily have my say on the pitch" - so it does not look like he was having people on.
However, there’s one club he could not turn out for - Roma’s city rivals Lazio.
“Lazio? I wouldn't have even considered it. I'd be ready in 2-3 months. I'm still playing at 48. Half an hour, twenty minutes. If I had to do something crazy, I'd do it in Italy, not abroad, but it's crazy. Maybe Inter will call me... Let's make a dressing room, I'll bring the Chinese. When you turn the page you never know what awaits you. It wasn't my choice, but in that moment it has to be experienced differently from the context. Maybe that's also why I've had that thing inside me. It's true that there's a beginning and an end to everything. I didn't want it and so that window remained open. A 10 in Italy? There isn't one, he could come back..."
Totti won the 2006 World Cup with Italy and picked up almost every individual honour on the domestic stage - 11 Oscar del Calcio awards from the Italian Footballers' Association: five Serie A Italian Footballer of the Year awards, two Serie A Footballer of the Year awards, two Serie A Goal of the Year awards, one Serie A Goalscorer of the Year award, and one Serie A Young Footballer of the Year award.