Totti: “I would have loved to play alongside Ronaldo the Phenomenon”

“I would have loved to play with Ronaldo, the Phenomenon. I think I would have helped him score three times as many goals. But for me, football is Maradona: the ball has his name written on it; he is the absolute icon. CR7 or Messi? They are two ‘aliens’; it’s hard to even find an adjective for them. I would have loved to play with both.”

These are excerpts from the long interview Francesco Totti gave to Corriere dello Sport on the occasion of his 50th birthday. The former Roma captain spoke about everything, from his private life to his time on the pitch:

“Does this milestone weigh on me? Sooner or later it comes… I’m happy to enjoy good health. If you stop and think about it, it’s a significant figure. And then, when you can no longer do what you love… You feel troubled; I would give anything to be able to play again.”

Then, a comment on the current Roma squad: “Gasperini is one of the best coaches in Serie A. He proved himself at Atalanta and now has the situation fully under control; if he is given complete freedom of action, he has excellent chances of doing well. Is Dybala ready for the number 10 shirt? I don’t think it’s a shirt you give after just five or six good matches; it requires a long-term project… It’s up to the club to decide whether to give it to him or not.”

Then came a transfer-market revelation: “If I had left Roma, I would have wanted to go to Milan. Partly because I supported them as a child. The Sacchi era and the Dutchmen fascinated me: it was a team that won everything and was wonderful to watch.”