GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE BLOG
It's April 2016. Roma are losing 2-1 at home to Torino, with minutes remaining. A slip up now could be costly in the race for Champions League qualification, with Inter only four points behind with five games left. Enter Francesco Totti.
Totti had been used sparingly by Luciano Spalletti after the Italian coach returned to the club that January, often making brief appearances from the bench. But now, Spalletti was out of ideas. He turned to Roma's captain, bringing off defensive midfielder Seydou Keita. It was now or never. Straight away, Miralem Pjanic crossed the ball from a free kick. Kostas Manolas headed it on and Totti followed the flight of the ball at the back post. The veteran dived forward, sticking his right boot out to fire the ball past Daniele Padelli. 2-2. Three minutes later, Roma won a penalty, as Diego Perotti's cross was handled in the box. Perotti himself was known as a proven penalty taker, but there was only going to be one player taking this. Totti took a deep breath, before shooting to Padelli's right-hand side. Time stood still for a moment... then the ball crossed the line. This was the stuff of legend. Totti had created magic to turn the game on its head. Fans in the stadium were reduced to tears as their hero pulled them back from the brink yet again. Roma would win the game, and secure 3rd place by the end of the season. Totti was certainly no stranger to inspiring comebacks. His influence in turning a loss into a win against Torino was not an isolated event. Throughout his career, Totti made a habit of changing the outcome of a game on his own. Just over a year earlier, he had scored two second half goals to bring Roma from 2-0 down to snatch a 2-2 draw against rivals Lazio, writing his name into Derby Della Capitale folklore by becoming the rivalry's all-time leading scorer. This was a man who never knew when to give up, who was hungry to win no matter the circumstances. It happened all throughout his career. Rewind to his very first goal for Roma, in a Serie A match with Foggia, and the result would have been different without his input. Roma drew 1-1 that day, and would have lost without Totti's goal. Even as a teenager, he was changing games - a habit that he wouldn't grow out of right up until his retirement. Over the course of his career, Totti's goals contributed to a mammoth 170 points for Roma. That's the extreme level of his impact on the club. After his goal earned a point against Foggia that September day in 1994, not a season went by in which at least one of Totti's goals changed the outcome of a match. For those wondering where Roma would have been without Totti, a fact like this puts things into perspective. He was turning cup ties on their heads right from the beginning, too. In October 1994, Roma were trailing Genoa 2-0 after the first leg of their Coppa Italia Round of 16 clash. It was none other than Totti who scored the opener in the second leg, only a month after officially becoming an adult, setting Roma on their way to a 3-2 win and a change of fortunes in the tie. The young Totti was showing he could have an influence on games even in the early days of his career. A few years later, under Zeman in the 1997-98 season, Totti's goals meant Roma finished four points better off. Consequently, they finished 4th, in the UEFA Cup places. Had Totti not been involved, Roma would have finished down in 7th, missing out on qualification for the competition. Over time, his contributions grew and grew. The following season was his first as captain, and the armband wasn't a burden for him, as his goals accounted for eight points. For the second consecutive year, Roma achieved a European qualification which they wouldn't have done without their talisman, and fate repeated itself for a third successive season when Totti helped Roma to a 6th-place finish in the 1999-2000 Serie A. The next year would be a sweet one for everyone at Roma. For only the third time in their history, the Giallorossi won the Scudetto, in a title race that went down to the wire. Totti scored on the final day, a decisive 3-1 win over Parma, with his 13th goal of the league season. In the club's most crucial times, he stepped up to the plate and delivered. Without his strikes that season, Roma wouldn't even have finished in the top two. Having won the Serie A title, Roma achieved Champions League qualification for the first time in Totti's career. Fabio Capello's side were drawn in a group with Real Madrid, Lokomotiv Moscow and Anderlecht. They finished 2nd in the group, qualifying for the second group stage. Along the way, Totti scored a late winner against Lokomotiv to ensure the Giallorossi finished above their Russian counterparts. The world was watching, and Totti was delivering. There were low points in Totti's remarkable journey, though. The 2004-05 season, in which Roma went through four managers, was a particular struggle. Roma were three points away from being relegated after only winning one of their last 13 games. Totti's 12 league goals that year were worth five points to the team. Without him, it would have been Serie B for only the second time in the club's history - a harrowing thought of what a world without Totti might have been like for Roma. On the bright side that year, Roma reached the Coppa Italia final, and it was Totti's winner against Udinese in the Last Four that put them there in the first place. Sadly, neither Totti nor any of his teammates could score in the two-legged final, as Inter won 3-0 on aggregate. Better things would return, and in 2006-07, Totti had his best goalscoring season ever. He netted 32 times in all competitions to clinch the European Golden Shoe. It was his most effective season for Roma, as he won the side 21 points with his goals, a performance that meant Roma finished five places better off, in second. As Totti entered the final 10 years of his career, he continued to inspire comebacks. One notable example was in the penultimate game of the 2009-10 season, when Roma were losing 1-0 to Cagliari with just 15 minutes left. Totti managed to equalise in the 79th minute, before finding the winner from the penalty spot just four minutes later in a dramatic turnaround. Totti always kept his composure late on. Against Udinese in April 2011, Totti had put Roma 1-0 up before Antonio Di Natale equalised late on. Never settling for a draw, Totti found the back of the net with the outside of his boot in the fourth minute of stoppage time, restoring Roma's lead with a piece of pure striking instinct. As he approached 40 years of age, and coaches became more reluctant to use him, Totti continued to defy the odds and lead Roma to unlikely comebacks. In April 2016, he came on as a late substitute against Atalanta and scored an equaliser in a 3-3 draw just seven minutes after entering the action. Totti struck the ball low and hard into the corner to rescue a point for Roma. Three days later, he would inspire the miraculous comeback against Torino; this was the perfect precursor to that infamous day. Totti only scored three goals in his final season, but two of them were game-changers. Against Sampdoria, he showed nerves of steel to score a 93rd-minute winner from the penalty spot in a game that had been delayed for over an hour due to rain. His last ever goal for Roma came in February 2017, against Cesena in the Coppa Italia quarter-final. It was another late penalty, as he fired Roma into the next round in the 97th minute. The old legs still had it. Many successful footballers possess great levels of skill and technique. But it takes someone special to impose themselves on a game in the way Francesco Totti did. Few players can win a game single-handed, performing when the rest of their teammates are not, but Totti was one of those players. As such, he earned dozens of important results for Roma, part of the process that made him so dear to the fanbase. It really is frightening to imagine where Roma might have been if he hadn't stayed with the club for his whole career.
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Francesco Totti was always destined to break records for Roma. His longevity and technical ability meant he would achieve several landmarks that others couldn't match.
Over the course of his lengthy career, he set many records that will stand the test of time, some unlikely to ever be broken. His records weren't only about Roma though; he set new highs for Italian football, and even European football as a whole. He managed to equal some landmarks, such as Roberto Baggio and Alberto Gilardino's tally of scoring against 38 different teams in Serie A, and Paolo Maldini's record of playing in the most consecutive Serie A seasons, 25. But often, Totti went above and beyond what others had achieved. Here are ten records he holds outright. Roma's all-time leading appearance maker Totti represented his only club a remarkable 786 times. He was captain for over half of those games in his extraordinary 25-season spell. The previous record was held by legendary defender Giacomo Losi, who represented the club 455 times. Totti overtook Losi in 2008, and went on to smash the record. Playing for nearly ten more years beyond breaking the record, Totti set a total that will be practically impossible to beat. Roma's all-time top scorer No player in history has scored even half the number of goals for Roma that Francesco Totti has. Roberto Pruzzo was a goal machine for Roma in the 1980s, but Totti eclipsed his achievements by a huge margin. In total, Totti scored 307 goals in all competitions for Roma - more than the club's two next highest scorers, Pruzzo and Amedeo Amadei, combined. It's another record of his that will surely stand the test of time. Roma's all-time top scorer in UEFA competitions Totti certainly turned up for the big occasions. Despite Roma's fairly inconsistent record in Europe over the course of his career, Totti was always among the goals. He scored 38 goals for the club across the Champions League and UEFA Cup/Europa League, including a goal against Real Madrid on his UCL debut in 2001, showing he could handle the pressure against the biggest opponents. Most goals for a single Serie A club Only Silvio Piola scored more goals in Serie A than Totti. However, the crucial difference is that Piola scored for several clubs, whereas all of Totti's 250 league goals came in a Roma shirt. It's a figure that goes to show just how much Totti gave to the colours he loved. Closest to Totti in the list of players to score the most Serie A goals for one club is ex-Roma striker Gunnar Nordahl, who notched 210 times for AC Milan. Totti beat Nordahl's record in 2012, and set the bar even higher. Most consecutive seasons with a goal in Serie A When Totti scored against Sampdoria towards the start of the 2016-17 season, his last campaign as a player, it meant he had scored at least one goal in the last 23 consecutive seasons. His first goal had come in September 1994, and after that, he never stopped finding the back of the net. The penalty against Sampdoria was his penultimate Serie A goal, but he made sure to have an impact right until his final few weeks on the pitch. Youngest club captain of a Serie A side When Aldair vacated the Roma captaincy in 1997, there was only really one candidate. Totti only had six seasons of Serie A experience under his belt, but he was the man to lead the side forward on the pitch, the epitome of everything it meant to be a Romanista. At the age of 22, Totti became the youngest ever club captain of a Serie A side, and kept hold of the armband right until his retirement nearly 20 years later. Most penalties scored in Serie A Totti didn't just break records for Roma, but for Italian football too. He is the record holder of the most penalties scored in Serie A - and he achieved it in a dramatic way, too. Roma were playing Torino on 20th April 2016, and were losing when the veteran was brought on. Within five minutes he turned the game on its head. He had already bagged the equaliser after latching onto a free kick, before he remarkably won the game with a penalty. It was the 69th spot kick he had scored in Serie A, overtaking Roberto Baggio's record of 68. Totti scored two more penalties before the end of his career to set the bar at 71. All-time leading scorer in Serie A Rome derbies This is another prime example of Totti choosing the perfect occasion to break a record. Roma were trailing 2-0 in the Derby against Lazio at half time. They needed two goals to salvage something from the game, and coincidentally, Totti also needed two goals to equal Dino Da Costa's record of being the all-time leading scorer in the Derby Della Capitale. Those goals would also make Totti the outright top scorer in Serie A derbies, taking his tally to 11. The script was written, and Totti delivered. After pulling one back early in the second half, Totti also clinched an equaliser, diving for the ball at the backpost and volleying it across goal and into the back of the net. He grabbed a mobile phone, turned his back to the Curva Sud, and took the most iconic selfie in football history. Oldest scorer in Champions League Totti was still contributing so much in the twilight of his career, that he actually broke this record twice. He initially broke it in a group stage match against Manchester City in 2014, chipping Joe Hart to equalise in a 1-1 draw, three days after he had turned 38. Then, three weeks later, he extended the record in a win over CSKA Moscow. His free kick meant he had scored in the Champions League aged 38 years and 59 days. Oldest Roma player in Serie A Serie A is a league renowned for the longevity of its players, with it not uncommon for players to play late into their thirties. Totti went beyond that. When he stepped onto the turf for the final time against Genoa on 28th May 2017, he wrote his name in the record books as Roma's oldest ever player. He was 40 years, eight months and one day old when he played for his beloved team for one last time. Once again, this was another record he had broken several times. The next oldest Roma player in the league was Morgan De Sanctis, whose final game came at the age of 38 years, eight months and three days. Totti eclipsed him by two whole years. Many of these records may never be broken. Totti's influence and contribution went far beyond what the average player gives. When you consider how many more goals he scored than Pruzzo, or how many more times he played for the club than Daniele De Rossi or Giacomo Losi, two long-serving one-club men, it makes you realise there will probably never be another player like Totti. A player who prided himself on high standards, and while he may not have won as many trophies as he deserved to, he certainly has the figures to prove how good he was. Francesco Totti has scored more goals for Roma than any other player in Serie A, the Champions League and the Europa League. He's had an impact on every stage he has graced, every competition he has played in. The only competitions he's played in without becoming Roma's top scorer in are the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana. He scored 18 goals in Italy's main domestic competition, falling two shy of the 20 Roberto Pruzzo notched in the tournament while playing for the club. Meanwhile, he only scored once in the Supercoppa. Everything else, and Totti is without comparison. Every journey begins somewhere though, and he was keen to make statements of intent from a young age. Here are the first goals he scored in every competition he played in for Roma. Serie A: 4/9/1994 v Foggia Totti's record-breaking goalscoring journey began at the age of 17, when he netted his first Roma goal against Foggia. The opponents that day were managed by a future Roma coach in Zdenek Zeman, who Totti would later score 38 goals under. However, before all that, Totti had to get off the mark, and did so with a poacher's finish. He arrived at the ball from a knock down, firing past the keeper with his left foot. It was perhaps symbolic that his first ever senior goal was scored with his weaker foot, as he would later go on to score many of his most famous strikes with the same boot. This goal was shot straight, like an arrow, and was the first of a record-breaking 250 goals for one club in Serie A. Coppa Italia: 22/9/94 v Fiorenzuola It didn't take long for Totti to add to his tally, as he scored his second goal for Roma just a couple of weeks later. This time, it was the Coppa Italia in which he left his mark. By the time Totti scored, over an hour into the second leg, Roma already had one foot in the next round, but that didn't stop Totti's hunger for goals. He made sure to leave an impression on the game with a goal that highlighted his forward thinking and nimble dribbling ability. Totti received the ball in an inside forward position on the left, quickly turning to beat his marker. Facing goal, he then had one more defender to beat before he could shoot. He effortlessly stepped inside, leaving the defender in a heap on the floor. It was then a calm sidefooted finish to beat the keeper at his near post. UEFA Cup: 17/10/95 v Eendracht Aalst The following season, Totti scored his first ever goal in European football, just over 15 minutes after coming on as a substitute in a 4-0 win over Belgians Eendracht Aalst. Once again, while still a teenager, he showed his genius at creating an opportunity. Totti used trickery to beat defenders, opening up new spaces and taking three opponents out of the game with his understanding of the area. It was a crowded box but Totti knew his way through it, and was able to pick out the bottom corner. Supercoppa Italiana: 19/8/01 v Fiorentina Months after lifting the Serie A trophy for the first and only time in his career, Totti made his debut in the Supercoppa, where Roma faced off against 2001 Coppa Italia winners Fiorentina. Roma won the match 3-0, with Totti putting the icing on the cake with the final goal. Vincent Candela had broken forward from the back, playing a neat one-two with Totti. The French wing-back drove down the centre of the pitch, unleashing a powerful shot from distance. Fiorentina goalkeeper Giuseppe Taglialatela could only parry the ball, and Totti was alert for the follow up. The number 10 was too quick for the keeper as he latched onto the loose ball and chipped it delicately over him and into the net. Scroll to 15:25 of the video below to see the goal. Champions League: 11/9/01 v Real Madrid By the time Totti made his Champions League debut in 2001, he had already amassed 70 goals for Roma. When the chance came to represent his club on the biggest European stage, he grasped it with both hands, scoring against the previous season's semi-finalists, Real Madrid. Totti was not fazed by playing against one of the biggest clubs in the world, and although his second half penalty turned out to be just a consolation in a 2-1 loss, it showed he had the technical and psychological strength to perform at the very top level. When Roma won a penalty over midway through the second half, it was Totti who stepped up to take responsibility. Totti's effort from 12 yards left Iker Casillas dazed in the middle of the goal, as the Spanish goalkeeper didn't even move. Totti struck the ball powerfully into the bottom corner, rendering it practically impossible for Casillas to save. The goal can be seen from 3:00 of the following video. Europa League: 30/7/09 v Gent It took Totti just 55 minutes of his first game since the UEFA Cup rebranded as the Europa League in 2009 to net his first goal under the competition's new banner. In a third qualifying round tie against Gent, 32-year-old Totti scored a goal that would become typical of his later career. Roma won a free kick on the edge of the box, with Totti lining up a powerful shot. The ball was rolled to him by David Pizarro, and he hit it first time. The shot stayed low, rocketing under the keeper's body to give Roma an equaliser. The goal can be seen from 0:36 of the video below, and is proof that even in his later years, Totti was intent on breaking new ground. 30th May, 1994. Ten years earlier, Roma had lost in their only ever European Cup final appearance, to Liverpool in a penalty shoot out on home soil. But the tragedy that came a decade after the loss to the English club was far more important than the outcome of any football match.
Agostino Di Bartolomei, captain of the club in that famous final the decade before, took his own life at his villa in San Marco di Castellabate. He was just 39 years old. Di Bartolomei's suicide shook Italian football to its very core. Nobody could have seen it coming. Agostino was always known as a shy and introverted man, but nobody could have imagined the feelings he was feeling on that fateful day and those leading up to it. His death came as a complete shock. The years following the loss to Liverpool had not been kind to Di Bartolomei. Against his will - as well as that of the fans - he left Roma for AC Milan that summer. In his time with the Rossoneri, who were at a low ebb in their history, the team failed to win a single trophy. Three years after joining Milan, he moved on to Cesena for one season, then finished his career with Salernitana. Agostino was not offered an off-the-field role at Roma upon his retirement in 1990 (teammates Bruno Conti and Franco Tancredi were when they called time on their careers). Instead, Di Bartolomei remained in the Salerno region, and saw his finances plummet, as he struggled to launch a career in business and a football school. Desperately in need of money, he was refused a loan from the bank, which drove him to breaking point. As he wrote in the suicide note that was later found in his pocket, he couldn't "see the exit from the tunnel." Over twenty years since Di Bartolomei tragically took his own life, support networks for mental health are starting to increase. Society is realising that anyone can suffer from depression, no matter what their background is. Former Roma forward Bojan Krkic recently opened up about his own struggles with mental health, and he is not the only professional footballer to bravely set an example and open up about their feelings. For negative thoughts can come to anyone. But no person should feel like taking their own life is the only solution. In his far too short life, Di Bartolomei had brought joy to thousands of people. He captained his hometown club with great honour, pride and elegance. A magnificent passer of the ball, he dictated play as a regista, and was also comfortable playing in a deeper role as a centre-back 0r a sweeper. He shone throughout the European Cup final, and even appeared to put Roma in the driving seat when he scored the team's first penalty in the shootout. But despite the high esteem that many held him in, Agostino didn't receive the sufficient support when things started to go wrong. 39 is no age to die at, and suicide is certainly no cause of death to go by. Agostino cannot be brought back, but we can learn from his tragic story. Mental health is an issue that needs to be taken more seriously, and those suffering from depression and other negative feelings should be aware that they are not alone. Di Bartolomei may have felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel, but for everyone, there is. There is a way out. It may not come quickly and it may not be obvious at this moment in time, but one day, it will come. Small steps will become big ones, and one day, the dark tunnel will be left forever, traded for a life of happiness and positivity. Today, on World Suicide Prevention Day, spare a thought for Di Bartolomei, and all those after him who have felt depressed or suicidal. It's a situation that many have found themselves in, but with the right support, society can help to get them back on track. It's time to talk about feelings with honesty, and with no fear of judgement. People will listen and they will help. It's the best way to start on the road to recovery. There have been few greater captains in Roma's history, and Italian football as a whole, than Agostino Di Bartolomei. Even now, our love for him lives on. He will never be forgotten. Feeling low? Call the Samaritans on 116 123, or the CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) helpline on 0800 58 58 58. The NHS website has a range of other experienced, trustworthy services that are there to help. The 2018 World Cup final takes place in just three days' time, as France and Croatia face off for the honour of being called world champions.
It's been a strange tournament for Roma fans, with only three members of the current squad taking part. Federico Fazio was barely used by Argentina despite them looking shaky in defence, Alisson was rarely tested in Brazil's goal despite playing every minute, and Aleksandar Kolarov scored a great free kick in his side's opening game, but couldn't stop Serbia losing out in the group stages. The madness all began when Italy failed to qualify for the tournament, and with Kevin Strootman's Holland, Edin Dzeko's Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kostas Manolas' Greece just three of the other nations to miss out, it became clear that Roma wouldn't be largely represented at the World Cup. The total of three Roma players participating in the tournament was the lowest since Italia 90, when again, only three Roma players made it. However, the club have had a rich history of links with the World Cup in the past. Here is an XI of players who have won the World Cup whilst being a Roma player. GK: Guido Masetti (Italy, 1934, 1938) The only player in history to have won the World Cup twice as a Roma player, Masetti was Roma's goalkeeper between 1930 and 1943. Despite being called up to the squads, he didn't actually play in either of the tournaments. At club level, he played a big part in Roma's first ever Scudetto triumph in 1942. RB: Cafu (Brazil, 2002) One of the best players to ever represent Roma, Cafu captained Brazil to World Cup glory in 2002. It was his third consecutive World Cup final, having also won the tournament as a Sao Paulo player eight years earlier. CB: Aldair (Brazil, 1994) Like Cafu, he won both the World Cup with Brazil in 1994 and the Scudetto with Roma in 2001. One of the first inductees to the club's Hall of Fame, Aldair made over 400 appearances for the Giallorossi. DF: Thomas Berthold (West Germany, 1990) Sandwiched between Berthold's two seasons with Roma was a World Cup victory with West Germany. Along with Roma striker Rudi Voller, the centre-back was one of two of the club's players to inspire the Germans to victory in Italy. LB: Vincent Candela (France, 1998) Three years before he inspired Roma to the 2001 Serie A title, Vincent Candela was part of the France team that won international football's top prize on home soil. Candela played in two of the matches. DM: Daniele De Rossi (Italy, 2006) In his first ever senior major tournament with Italy, a young Daniele De Rossi forged a range of memories. Despite being suspended for four of the matches after an elbow on USA's Brian McBride in the group stages, De Rossi replaced clubmate Francesco Totti in the final and went on to score a penalty in the shootout, as Italy won the competition for the fourth time. CM: Simone Perrotta (Italy, 2006) English-born Perrotta was another member of Italy's famous 2006 triumph, starting in all seven games. The midfielder had a long and successful career for both club and country, also winning the Coppa Italia twice with the Giallorossi. CM: Attilio Ferraris (Italy, 1934) Ferraris was Roma's first captain, and played more than 200 times for the club. In 1934, he helped Italy to their first ever World Cup trophy, being named in the tournament's All-Star Team for his performances, alongisde fellow Roma player Enrique Guaita. AM: Bruno Conti (Italy, 1982) One of the glistening stars of Nils Liedholm's powerful Roma side of the early 1980s, winger Bruno Conti is fondly remembered by fans. Spectacular skill and a lethal left foot, he was instrumental in Italy's victory in 1982. So much so, in fact, that Pele described him as the tournament's best player. AM: Francesco Totti (Italy, 2006) Scoring a penalty against Australia and recording a tournament-high four assists, Totti was a major influence in Italy's 2006 triumph. After recovering from an injury which saw him miss a portion of the season with Roma, he managed to start all seven games for the Azzurri, and was listed in the tournament's 23-player All-Star Team. After coming home from Germany victorious, Totti called time on his international career, and went on to play for Roma for 11 more historic seasons. ST: Rudi Voller (West Germany, 1990) Scorer of three goals in the 1990 World Cup finals, despite an unsavoury red card in the second round, Voller continued his good form in the country where he played at club level. After three seasons with Roma, Voller achieved World Cup glory in Italy, starting the final against Argentina. He spent two more seasons with Roma after, scoring just shy of 50 goals across his five-year stint with the club. Subs: Eraldo Monzeglio (Italy, 1938); Aldo Donati (Italy, 1938); Pietro Serantoni (Italy, 1938); Enrique Guaita (Italy, 1934) Following the news of Bryan Cristante's decision to wear the number 4 shirt for Roma, here's a lowdown of four iconic players to have worn the same number for the club.
Will Cristante follow in the footsteps of these all-time greats? Agostino Di Bartolomei He only wore the number 4 during one season, but it was a significant one, as Roma won their second ever Scudetto in 1982-83. The captain of that triumph was one of the club's most fondly remembered players, Agostino Di Bartolomei. Squad numbers were not compulsory in Serie A until 1995-96, so Di Bartolomei was not the only player to wear 4 in that campaign, but the number still graced the legend's back in what was an historic year. Daniele De Rossi Before he made the number 16 shirt iconic, a young De Rossi wore 4 for one season towards the start of his career. 2004-05 was the first season in which he made more than 30 appearances for the club, as he played in as many games as he had in his first three seasons with the club combined. Following his breakout year, and inspired by the date of his daughter's birthday and Roy Keane, he switched to his present 16 shirt the season after. Juan One of the best defenders to have played for Roma since the turn of the century, Juan donned the number 4 longer than any other player since squad numbers were introduced. The Brazilian made nearly 150 appearances for Roma in a five-season spell after joining from Bayer Leverkusen in 2007. At the age of 39, he is still playing now in the Brazilian top flight with Flamengo - where he wears, of course, the number 4. Radja Nainggolan The man whose departure allowed Cristante to take the number 4, Nainggolan became an adopted Roman in his time at the club, thanks to his full-energy displays. Initially taking the 44 shirt when he joined in 2013, Nainggolan switched to 4 following Michael Bradley's 2014 exit. The powerful Belgian midfielder said goodbye to Roma after four-and-a-half years with the club, leaving Cristante with large boots to fill. Today is the birthday of one of the greatest Roma forwards in recent memory. Vincenzo Montella spent ten years with the club, from 1999 to 2009, going down in Roma folklore for his tremendous goalscoring ability. He lies sixth on the club's all-time scoring chart. He also spent a brief period as Roma's caretaker manager in 2011. Relive some of the best moments of his career with these three moments of magic. Goal vs Milan, 2000/01 In 2001, L'aeroplanino scored a beautiful goal against one of the clubs he would later coach. Receiving the ball wide left, he showed elegant control of the ball whilst dribbling inside, before chipping the ball from distance over Milan keeper Sebastiano Rossi. The goal secured a valuable point in the race for the Scudetto, which would be sealed two games later against Parma. Bicycle kick vs Chievo, 2004/05 Montella gained a new lease of life in the 2004/05 season, scoring 17 more goals than he had in the previous campaign. One of those came against Chievo, and was another example of stunning technique. A cross came in from the left, and Roma's number 9 executed an overhead kick to score. There was nothing the goalkeeper could do. Derby Della Capitale, 2001/02 Montella loved scoring against Lazio, which endeared him to the Roma fans (only three players have scored more derby goals than him). In 2002, he was instrumental in one of the best derbies in Roma's history. Fabio Capello's side stormed to a 5-1 win over their rivals, in a game memorable for an extraordinary Francesco Totti goal. The other four that day were all scored by Montella, in a superb individual display. The pinnacle of his quadruple was a left-footed belter from outside the box, which flew into the top corner of Angelo Peruzzi's net. The preparations are continuing ahead of this weekend's eagerly anticipated Rome derby. For the third of this week's Derby themed articles, let's take a look at five great goals that Roma have scored against their rivals in the 21st Century. 5. Simone Perrotta (31/10/07) One of Roma's World Cup winning players from 2006, midfielder Perrotta scored his side's third goal in a 3-2 win over Lazio in 2007. At the end of a positive move, Perrotta lifted the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper, before being able to cushion the ball into an empty net. 4. Alessandro Florenzi (3/4/16) There aren't many better things than seeing a diehard Roma fan scoring a wonder goal in the Derby Della Capitale. Alessandro Florenzi did just that in a memorable game in 2016. Wearing the captain's armband, the versatile Roman smashed home a great volley from outside the box as the ball came back out from a corner. It was Roma's third goal in a 4-1 victory and was a truly special moment, from a special player. 3. Vincenzo Montella (10/3/02) Montella had a bit of a field day in 2002, as he put four past Lazio in an extraordinary 5-1 win. The last of his four goals was arguably the most spectacular, as he smashed the ball home from distance with his left foot. The powerful strike clipped the underside of the crossbar before falling satisfyingly into the bottom corner of the net. 2. Mancini (9/11/03) With an exquisite piece of technique, Brazilian Mancini scored one of the best goals seen in recent Derby Della Capitale history. Converting Antonio Cassano's free kick with a sublime backheel finish, he created a small slice of Roma history. It would have been one thing to score any kind of goal with a backheel, but the fact that this shot was expertly placed to the far corner makes it even more special. 1. Francesco Totti (10/3/02) Whilst it was Montella who scored four in that infamous 5-1 win, the best goal that day was scored, of course, by Francesco Totti. Spotting Angelo Peruzzi off his line, Totti did what he knew how to do best, and chipped the stranded keeper from distance. Displaying superb technique as always, Er Pupone completed the scoring in one of Roma's greatest games of recent times. And he certainly saved the best until last. No player has scored more goals in Rome derby history than Totti, and this was surely the greatest. It's an excellent way to round off this list. It's Derby week in Rome, and the anticipation is growing ahead of an always exciting fixture. The Derby Della Capitale is one of the fiercest rivalries in world football - but that hasn't stopped some brave players crossing the dividing lines and playing for both clubs. Here are five examples:
Attilio Ferraris IV The very first player to represent both Rome clubs, Ferraris held a number of other interesting feats to his name as well. He was Roma's first captain and first Italian international. He was part of the Roma side that won the club's first trophy (the Coppa CONI) in 1928, and he added a World Cup medal to his personal collection in 1934. However, lifestyle issues off the pitch tainted his reputation on it, and he was eventually sold to Lazio, in a shock move, in 1934. Along with the fee of 150,000 lire was a clause that would result in a fine should he feature in a Derby. Despite this, he did feature against Roma, and ended up playing for Lazio for two years. He died in 1947 at the age of 43. Fulvio Bernardini A teammate of Ferraris' and his successor as captain, Bernardini had a large influence on Roma and was renowned for his fantastic technical ability. Despite starting his playing career at Lazio, he arrived at Roma after a spell with Inter, and found his home. Bernardini would go on to play for Roma for eleven years and cemented himself in the club's history; in 2012, he was one of the first names inducted into the club's Hall of Fame. After his playing career he became a successful manager, and, as in his playing days, he represented both Rome clubs in this role. In 1984, Roma's training complex was named the Centro Sportivo Fulvio Bernardini by President Dino Viola in his honour. Arne Selmosson The Swedish striker who joined Roma from their cross-city rivals in 1958, Selmosson became the first - and still the only - player to score for both clubs in Derby games. He scored thirty goals in total for Roma over a three-year spell. Angelo Peruzzi The Italian goalkeeper started his career with Roma in 1986, but would go on to have more success elsewhere later on. After returning to Roma from Verona in 1990, he was sold to Juventus after a year, after being found guilty of doping. He went on to have prolonged success in Turin, before joining Inter for a season. After that, he concluded his career with a seven-year spell at Lazio. He played 192 times for the Biancocelesti, much more than he did for Roma. During that time, he was the goalkeeper in the infamous 2002 Derby, in which he conceded five goals - four from Vincenzo Montella and an exquisite Francesco Totti chip. A game that hasn't been mentioned for the last time this week... Aleksandar Kolarov Kolarov is no stranger to the Rome Derby having previously featured in it for Lazio, but those memories will be put far behind him on Saturday as he has his first experience of the fixture in Giallorossi colours. The Serbian is having an outstanding start to the season at Roma having joined in the summer, and will look to continue that as he takes on his former employers at the weekend. Having scored against Roma in 2009, can he follow in Selmosson's footsteps and become just the second player to score for both sides in a Derby? Come back tomorrow for another Derby Della Capitale article! Two days after it was confirmed that Francesco Totti will remain with Roma in an off-the-field role, following a remarkable 25-year career with the club, let's take a look at the ten best goals he ever scored for his one and only team. Do you agree with the list? Leave a comment below to have your say! 10. vs Juventus, 2013 Il Capitano never stopped scoring meaninful goals, even in the twilight of his career. In 2013 he sealed victory for Roma over Juventus with a long-range thunderbolt. He struck the ball perfectly with his first touch, and it shot like a bullet into the top corner, over a helpless Gigi Buffon. 9. vs Lazio, 2015 Yes, that goal. A derby strike that would circulate Totti's name around the football globe once again. With Roma trailing to their rivals 2-1, Totti latched onto a deep cross from Jose Holebas, throwing himself acrobatically at the ball. He volleyed it back across the keeper to become the all-time leading scorer in Rome derbies, and immortalised the moment with a rather famous selfie... 8. vs Torino, 2002 Torino proved to be a popular opponent for Francesco - who could forget his brace from the bench against them to turn the match around in 2016? Earlier in his career he scored another standout goal against the Granata, beating the goalkeeper and defender as he kept the ball close to his feet, setting himself up for an easy finish. 7. vs Sampdoria, 2004 Another example of Totti's extraordinary dribbling ability, with this goal he took the ball from near the halfway line all the way to the goal, with the defence left dumbfounded as to how to stop him. He had only one thing on his mind as he moved down the pitch. To top it all off, he chose a cheeky chipped finish across goal that, as many of his goals did, left the opposing keeper stranded. 6. vs Genoa, 2016 Totti was in fantastic form in 2016 and won the team many important results. With the Giallorossi drawing with Genoa, he took responsibility for the team's chances of victory, and delivered. Rolled the ball by Daniele De Rossi from a late free kick, Totti thundered the ball into the back of the net to secure the three points for Roma. 5. vs AC Milan, 1996 A goal from before Totti became Roma's number 10, and one that proved he had the skill to don that famous number in the future. With the Rossoneri goalkeeper stranded outside of his box, the young Totti, who had seized possession from him in the first place, pulled off a sublime finish to capitalise on the opportunity. Using the outside of his right foot, he curled the ball into the far bottom corner of the empty net, showing great technique and control of the ball. 4. vs Lazio, 2002 Il Capitano loved a derby goal, and they didn't come any better than this one. With exquisite technique, he chipped the ball over the Lazio keeper - who wasn't even that far off his line - from outside the box. He proceeded to perform another infamous celebration, revealing the '6 Unica' t-shirt dedicated to Roma's fans, in one of the greatest derby results of recent memory. 3. vs Udinese, 2000 Only a handful of players are able to execute world class finishes with their weaker foot; Francesco Totti was certainly in that group. Watching the ball all the way as it came towards him in the air, he sent it flying into the roof of the net with a tremendous left-footed volley. His run was timed to perfection so that the ball dropped right into his path, and after the ball had fallen across his body, he let fly and scored one of his most famous goals. 2. vs Inter Milan, 2005 Another famous cucchiaio of Totti's, this one scored at the San Siro. He emerged successful from challenges by Inter defenders, whose teammates further down the pitch were clearly fearful of Totti's ability to keep the ball. Hence, he was able to run into dangerous space, and completed his wonder goal with a beautiful chip over Julio Cesar. His perfectly placed effort went down in Roma history, and will live long in the memory for years to come. 1. vs Sampdoria, 2006 It would take something truly special to beat the Inter strike, and Totti's spectacular volley against Sampdoria in 2006 was definitely that. Like the Udinese volley he had scored a few years prior, it was scored with his 'weaker' left foot (although as we came to establish, Totti was a genuinely two-footed player). He confidently dispatched the ball from a near impossible angle following Marco Cassetti's cross; it flew past the keeper due to the huge amount of power he struck it with. Totti's precise technique was one of the strongest points of his game, evident in many of his goals - this one being a prime example. Leaving even the Sampdoria fans in applause, it was the greatest of the 307 goals he scored for Roma. |
samuel bannister
Founder and editor of Giallorossi Yorkshire, who is also a columnist for Roma's official website about the women's team. Categories
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