Ever since he “retired” in 2017, Roma fans have longed for the day Francesco Totti would return to the club in a legitimate capacity. Following his forced exit from the pitch nearly a decade ago, Totti joined
the front office in August of 2017, working alongside James Pallotta, Eusebio Di Francesco, and Monchi. Given his standing in club history, it felt like a natural transition; after all, apart from Daniele De Rossi, who else knows Roma as well as Totti?
Unfortunately, Totti’s ascension to the boardroom proved to be a farce. Speaking to the Gazzetta dello Sport following his June 2019 resignation from his directorial role with the club, Totti revealed the true nature of his position and the events that led to another acrimonious departure from AS Roma:
“I was never given the operational freedom to actually work in Roma’s technical area. I never asked for money, but I believe I have the skills to be a technical director. Instead, they chose the coach and the sporting director without even calling me. They invited me to London two days before, when everything had already been decided, without asking whether I agreed or not.
From the beginning, the fixed idea of some people was one thing: ‘Get the Romans out of Roma.’ They got what they wanted. The Americans tried to push us aside — and they succeeded.”
Totti continued to spill the tea in that interview, making allegations of backstabbing and speculating that his presence loomed too large at Roma, but concluded by suggesting that, if a new ownership group arrived, he’d be open to returning.
Which brings us to today’s news. According to the Corriere dello Sport, Claudio Ranieri and Dan Friedkin remain in contact with Totti over a new role as Technical Director. In this capacity, Totti would serve as a liaison between the team and the front office and could have a say in the club’s transfer policy.
That’s all well and good, but the CdS added fuel to the skeptical fire by ending their article tying Totti’s return to the club’s impending 100th anniversary in 2027, speculating that he may help boost the club’s visibility and commercial viability during the year-long celebration.
While that may be harmless speculation, we can safely assume that Totti is weighing this proposal carefully—once bitten, twice shy, after all.
