Francesco Totti: The Greatest Ever?

Francesco Totti – The Conversation with Tšitso Ntšinyi

Tšitso Ntšinyi is a mad Roma supporter, and that is an understatement. Tšitso grew up in the Curva Sud at the Stadio Olimpico and like all Roma fans he is prone to moments of violence, especially when defending the honour of the Giallorossi. This past week Tšitso got into an e-mail argument with an unnamed football fan over that bona fide Roma legend Francesco Totti. Needless to say, things got heavy…

(Note: For security reasons we will call that unnamed fan Malome Thabiso.)

Il Gladiatore

Malome Thabiso

Ntate Ntšinyi, I just saw a story about Totti on the news saying he could be moving to LA Galaxy. It got me thinking about the great man himself and the career he’s had. While I won’t disagree that his place in Roma folklore is guaranteed some people still maintain that Totti hasn’t been a true success because he never proved himself somewhere other than at Roma… Could he have been better both as a player and in terms of winning trophies?  And where does he really rank amongst the greatest in Italy and also Europe? Personally I think Alessandro Del Piero was better, and of course the Divine Ponytail (Roberto Baggio) too...

Tšitso

The answers to some of those questions are just so painstakingly obvious; I don’t even have to answer them. Del Piero is not even close, maybe with the Ponytail it is debatable; but Totti is the greatest, hands down.

Malome Thabiso

Dude, when I was growing up, back in the day when European football was a myth because I had no satellite TV, Del Piero was the name I would hear all the time. That’s like around 96, 97, 98. Those are the days when I used to see Ronaldo in adverts and when Denilson was the most expensive signing ever.

I saw Totti at Euro 2000; he was pretty wow wearing that number 20 jersey. He had shorter hair and he wore those old Nike Total 90’s that were also worn by Steve Lekoelea. I used to think those boots made you shoot real hard because Lekoelea was scoring crazy freekicks at that time.

Anyway I can’t really argue either way, I guess I was trying to start an argument. I just think Italy has been blessed to have both Totti and Del Piero – true legends.

Unfortunately it’s like Mazzola and Rivera. Two geniuses at the same time and who practically speaking can’t play in the same team, hence why Italy have just the 2006 World Cup to show for the Totti/Del Piero era, a tournament in which Totti started off as first choice before Daddy Piero came through big. That’s not to diss Totti by the way; what I’m saying is that it’s really difficult to separate the two.

Del Piero has won everything; he’s a god in Turin. Of course you can argue he had a better platform, better teams and coaches – and referees too – but its still pressure to be that golden boy for such a huge club and he’s carried himself like a hero, scoring for fun. To me he has been bigger to Juve than Raul was to Madrid.

Totti is a superhero too, more explosive in character and play than Del Piero and a leader to Roma through thick and thin. So to those Roma goons he’s god because he’s a goon too. In some ways you can also argue he held back Roma at times, fighting with coaches and just being a goon, but that’s probably the same for Del Piero. It’s the power they have as almost cultural icons.

To me when I judge a player I say – 1. Wow, 2. Consistency, 3. The hero/god/leader quality, and 4. Achievements. That’s why Maradona is my eternal number one. 2nd is Zizou, 3rd Ronaldo and 4. Ronaldinho. 5th is still open but its 98% Messi as things stand.

Anyway when it comes to these Italian idols, Baggio, Totti and Del Piero, if you ask me to put my head on the block straight, I would say 1. Del Piero, 2. Totti, 3. Baggio.

In terms of natural talent and silk Del Piero and Totti are children to Baggio. But life is harsh. Little moments and decisions count and fantasy isn’t reality.  It’s close though. I have super respect for all those three Italians. They are gods.

Francesco Totti

Tšitso

I see your point, but Totti is so much more than just him. He dictates everything on the pitch. The Gerrard Effect should be the Totti Effect. The number of times he has pulled Roma back from a loss or crisis for over a decade are countless. That’s legendary! There have been Roma teams that weren’t the most talented or most hardworking but thanks to Totti they weren’t embarrassed. Yes his temper has cost us on occasion, but if that’s the cost of all that greatness then it’s worth it.

The guy is a fighter. That’s why people are crazy about him… no matter what you put up against Totti he’s there standing up to the challenge. That’s why he is Il Gladiatore. It’s as if before every game he tells the boys ‘if you want you can help, but I’m going all out’.

This guy has the best shot I have ever seen, period. No one comes close. His timing when passing through balls, his movement off the ball and his overall football brain is just amazing.

Big time players make their whole team shine. The guy is a team player, whatever the team needs Totti does, whether going crazy for Roma or understanding he is part of a team for Italy. All the streaks Roma go on are when Totti is on form. Yes, you can say it’s because Roma rely on him, but there is a reason they rely on him. I know I’m biased but Totti is a machine. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he scored 26 league goals in the 2006/07 season even though he missed nine penalties, he likes a challenge.

I respected him even more at international level. All this talk that he never shined is rubbish. When he was surrounded by true quality he fitted into the team. Yeah he didn’t go nuts, but he contributed well and was never out of place. Whether he was giving a simple pass or making a run to divert attention he contributed positively. Totti was always on point. In 2000 he had a good Euro2000 tournament; in 2002 and 2004 the coaches were to blame with stupid tactics.

The man is the King of Italy, pure quality.

207 league goals

Malome Thabiso

You see this is what I’m saying. You are a Roma goon, a Roma Ultra – violent people who also happen to have mad passion and love for football and their team Roma. You guys are the tifosi, warriors. So Totti is just that. He really doesn’t give a funky flower. Added to that he just happens to be one hell of a footballer, a special one. He is living the dream of every Roma die hard goon (because, with all due respect, Roma fans are goons. That’s why you once had to play in an empty stadium in the Champions League something which I’d never seen, and will probably never see again, I mean this is the Champions League after all!).

Anyway Totti is living the dream. He’s captaining Roma and he’s done it well, superbly in fact. So I can’t argue with anything you say. When I sit down and think about my greatest players ever, Totti would be in the top 20 I’m sure. And before you think I’m dissing pause and imagine what a top 20 of players actually means… Totti is a hero.

However, King of Italy? Greatest ever? Top 10 Daddies of Football? I’m not so sure...

I actually don’t know where I’m going with this argument! But I would say to me (my football knowledge and reference, i.e. what I count in football starts in 1985/86, i.e. unfortunately I can’t count Pele) Del Piero, Baggio and Totti are some of the greatest number 10s the game has seen. To me, and the general onlooker Del Piero, Baggio and Totti are tied or don’t deserve to be put under another.

Now, my knowledge on Baggio isn’t Wikipedia, but I know I like him and I think he’s the next best thing to sliced bread. He was divinely good, almost that sad hero. The dude we love so much but somehow we feel he could have done better... that hero with faults, like Totti. Baggio was a magician on the field. So good he once helped Brescia avoid relegation on his own, which goes into that number 3. Hero/god/leader ‘I’ll do it, just boys lean on me boys’ category.

Both Baggio and Totti were machines as players, better than Del Piero probably, as in they were proven match winners… it’s just those trophies. And it is harsh but it’s like what that narrator dude says at the beginning of Troy “Men are haunted by the vastness of eternity, will our names echo through time?”

Well, Del Piero’s will, he’s won it all.

(PS. That Roma goon stuff wasn’t a diss; I meant it with respect and seriousness. It’s a fact, a culture thing.)

World Cup winner

Tšitso

You have a way of not dissing. I agree to an extent it’s a Roma thing. I remember that game, against Leverkusen, Berba scored a cracker.

It’s like Batigol (Gabriel Batistuta) said – winning with a team like Fiorentina, in this case Roma, is a bigger achievement than winning with Juve or Milan. I remember in 2001, the city went nuts for days. 99% of my school was Red and Yellow that week, the Roma team were treated like gold.

I understand your point, but I always think context plays a huge role in everything. Totti has led a team considered as a “B” team, by in my opinion idiots, to a Serie A title and a few Coppa Italias against bigger spending teams.

Then there was last year when we came in second a point from the title after a horrendous start. We picked up 81 points in 30 games we ended up on 82 points (which basically says what we are all about) and a large part was due to Totti.

Del Piero had his chance now to rejuvenate his team and he has failed. Ponytail had a lot of injuries and stupid transfer decisions which resulted in about three to four noteworthy seasons in terms of my definition of achievement, i.e. helping his team a lot more than a man should… and that was with Brescia and two seasons at Fiorentina when he was completely nuts.

For me overcoming or thriving in adversity is a big part of being great. Totti has had serious injuries, crappy teammates, suicidal coaches and himself to contend with. Yet despite all that he still has trophies even though he has been part of a team that has been broke for ten years. Because of him Roma (despite bargain buys) have been considered a championship contender even before Serie A became a joke.

I rate Totti first.

Baggio is second because he exhibits that fighting spirit with skill.

Then third is Del Piero. He is a beast but he has always had the tools available to him. It’s not his fault, but it raises the Scottie Pippen/Jordan argument… could he have been as good without the rest of the cast? With Baggio and Totti it’s imagine how much better they would have been with better players.

Like I said Juve has been in freefall for the last four years and Del Piero should have stepped up. Last year they got knocked out of the Europe League by Unirea. Roma have had their moments, but not at the hands of no-name brands.

This has been Del Piero’s chance with no Nedved and Camoranesi around but he is not shining.

The season when he was top scorer Juventus still had a poor trophy-less season. When Totti is on form we are at least competitive and we get a trophy…

No Totti, no party!