This is the moment when Francesco Totti dared to reject a tempting offer from Real Madrid outright. Talking about a one-man club or a player who only has a career with one club, is incomplete if you don’t include the name of AS Roma legend, Francesco Totti.
Francesco Totti defended the Italian capital club throughout his career. In total he has made 785 appearances with the Giallorossi – AS Roma’s nickname – by scoring 307 goals and 206 assists. After deciding to retire on July 17 2017, the man nicknamed Prince of Rome remained loyal to the Roma Wolf by being a director at AS Roma.
Being a talented player, of course throughout his career many European clubs were interested in signing him. Including the Spanish league giants, Real Madrid.
Reporting from the Daily Mail, Wednesday (15/02/2023) Real Madrid president Florentino Perez admitted that he had made an approach to bring Francesco Totti to Real Madrid before the 2006-2007 season. But the offer was rejected by the Prince of Rome.
“Before 2006, early in my presidency, I called him and asked him to come, but he told me he couldn’t move from Rome,” said Florentino Perez.
Madrid did offer many things to bring Totti to the Bernabeu. Including promising him to play with Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo Nazario also promising Totti will win the Ballon d’Or if he is in Real Madrid uniform. But Totti remained in his stance in the AS Roma uniform.
Francesco Totti revealed that while he was tempted by Real Madrid, Totti had made the right decision by dedicating his life to Roma. But Totti felt he missed the Ballon d’Or.
“I made the very right decision. Putting aside the possibility of winning a lot of things to stay with one jersey all my life is for me the most important thing, “said Totti quoted from Football Italia, Wednesday (15/02/2023).
“In the end, I have everything I want. Love and passion are more important to me than winning trophies anywhere else. I give 101 per cent for Roma, because I put Roma before myself, personal issues and personal life. Roma is everything,” said the prince of Roma.
“One thing I really miss is the Ballon d’Or. I know that playing with Roma my chances are less than other people who were at Real Madrid, Juventus or Milan. They have more international visibility, especially when you win the Ballon d’Or by winning the Champions League, World Cup or some other important trophy.”
