Totti at 40: Ranking the 5 best moments in Er Pupone's career
Francesco Totti has always been in the headlines.
He is one of Italy’s best players ever, a World Cup winner, and the captain of his childhood club.
His wedding at Santa Maria dell’Ara Coeli in 2005 was broadcast live on Sky, which put together a four-and-a-half-hour special featuring interviews with Totti’s friends.
However, he wasn’t always in the news for all the right things.
There was the time he spit at Denmark’s Christian Poulsen at Euro 2004, and there was the violent kick on Mario Balotelli.
But he’s the king of Rome for a reason.
Growing up in a household of Romanisti and heading out to the Stadio Olympico to watch the Giallorossi, Totti was a fan first. His mother resisted an offer from AC Milan, and he later turned down the opportunity to join Real Madrid in order to stay where his heart is, was, and always will be.
“Roma is my family, my friends, the people that I love,” he wrote in The Players’ Tribune. “Rome is the sea, the mountains, the monuments.
“Rome, of course, is Romans.”
He has spent more than two decades wearing the yellow and red, and on Tuesday he celebrates his 40th birthday.
The satisfaction of playing at home far surpassed the allure of trophies abroad. He could’ve won more with the Rossoneri or Los Blancos, but he took pride in representing his city, and gave so much joy to his people.
Here are the five best moments in Er Pupone’s career:
Totti the cameraman (2004)
The only thing better than Totti’s goals was his celebrations, and he relished these moments against eternal rival Lazio.
Opposing players and fans knew enough to wind up Totti – who’s been prone to more than a few red cards in his career for retaliation – before some of the biggest matches.
But he would return the favour whenever he could. In April 2004, Totti scored the equaliser from the penalty spot and jumped over the barrier to commandeer one of the cameras. For someone in front of the lens his entire career, he switched roles and panned the crowd to capture the reactions.
Cucchiaio vs. Lazio (2002)
A lack of confidence has never been an issue for The Golden Boy. Provided the opportunity to do something spectacular, Totti would often deliver. There was no doubt he had the ability to pull off backflicks and outrageous free-kicks, and he was also the epitome of cool.
The cucchiaio – what a chipped penalty is called in Italian – is a special favourite of Totti’s. Coming off the bench in the semi-finals of Euro 2000, Totti had the chance to play the hero in penalty kicks. He completely bamboozled Netherlands goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar with a perfect Panenka.
Arguably more impressive was Totti’s fantastic chip in the midst of play in the 2002 derby. Some 25 yards away from Angelo Peruzzi’s goal, the King of Rome dinked an evenly weighed ball up and into the net. The Giallorossi won the match 5-1, one of the most lopsided results in the history of the rivalry.
Clinching the Scudetto (2001)
Totti formed an outstanding trio with fellow strikers Gabriel Batistuta and Vincenzo Montella to win Roma’s third Scudetto in 2001. With 80,000 fans in attendance at the Stadio Olimpico that June – when Roma could clinch an elusive league crown – the three of them all scored to end an 18-year title drought.
Of course, it was the main man that kicked off an emphatic 3-1 win over Parma. Totti walloped a rocket of a shot past a young Gianluigi Buffon for the first goal, and proceeded to take off his shirt in celebration.
Thousands of fans streamed onto the pitch and forced a delay twice, stripping the jerseys and shorts off Totti and Montella. They were seen walking around in their underwear as they soaked in a moment in history.
Scoring at the Bernabeu (2002)
The Santiago Bernabeu witnessed a fair chunk of Totti’s glory days, and it gave him due praise. The eternal captain was applauded by Madrid fans after scoring the winning goal in the group stage of the 2002-03 Champions League.
It was the first time in 35 years that an Italian club had registered a victory in the Spanish capital.
The Bernabeu stood on its feet once again when Totti replaced Stephan El Shaarawy in last season’s tournament. It’s recognition of the finest order, considering the Madrid faithful reserved standing ovations in the past for the likes of Ronaldinho and Alessandro Del Piero.
Taking a selfie (2015)
No one has been more prolific than Totti in the Rome derby. He scored twice in a comeback 2-2 draw against Lazio in January 2015, putting him at a record 11 goals in the fixture’s long history.
After pulling off an acrobatic move to net the second strike, Totti retrieved a cell phone and took a picture of himself in front of the hardcore fans.
“I don’t usually take selfies but I broke an important record and wanted it to be a moment I would remember,” he later said. “It was a great goal – the photo was not as great, but it’s OK.”
Such is his level of confidence, he had prepared himself for this. Totti gave his phone to Roma’s goalkeeping coach in case he went off and did something special. He also went for a haircut that morning.
