For someone who only played for one club across his entire career, Francesco Totti certainly built up an impressive array of admirers.
While many neutrals from different parts of the world were blind to just how good he was, dozens of famous footballing faces noticed his talent. Teammates, opponents, or even legends who had played in a different era; it seems like anyone who was anyone in football had something positive to say about Totti.
Here are 10 quotes from football legends on their appreciation of Totti.
1. “Francesco Totti is the king of Rome. He is and will be the best player I ever saw!”
Diego Maradona
2. “I liked Francesco straight away. Not only as a player but also as a person. He is a phenomenon, a rare player. It seems as if when he was born, the heavenly father said: ‘Go down there and play football and that’s it.’ And he did what he was prescribed to do.”
Luigi Riva
3. “Totti has the technique of a South American and deserved to win a few more trophies with his Roma team. In fact, he also deserved to win the Ballon d’Or. He is an extraordinary player. When he started, nobody thought he would go on to become so great. In Italy it’s not easy for kids to come up through the youth academy and impose themselves on the first team, but he managed it and became the symbol of Roma. Totti manages to think with his feet and would’ve done great things with my Roma side in 1982-83.”
Paulo Roberto Falcao
4. “Totti is always strong, and as a Roman, fights for the team. He makes you feel great, and was a fantastic teammate. He has done a lot of brilliant things for Roma and for the Italian national team. I have always rooted for him.”
Cafu
5. “I have a lot of respect for Totti. When you talk about Roma, you think about Francesco Totti, and when you talk about Francesco Totti, you think about Roma. I’ve had to battle so many times against him. I have maximum respect for him.”
Thierry Henry
6. “He is the best player with whom I have ever worked. He could have won several Ballons d’Or had he left Roma for Barcelona or Manchester United. I have also worked with [Frank] Lampard and [Alessandro] Del Piero, but Francesco is the better player.”
Claudio Ranieri
7. “Who are the best five Italian players? Totti, Totti, Totti, Totti, Totti.”
Zdenek Zeman
8. “Francesco is not only a formidable player – a “fuoriclasse” as you say in Italy – but also a man with great qualities outside of football. For me he is one of the very best players in the history of the sport.”
Rudi Garcia
9. “Every player has some genius, but there’s only one Van Gogh, and there is nobody like Totti.”
Giovanni Trapattoni
10. “Totti is the best player in the world.”
Pele
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