Totti in hot water after claiming Roma were ‘robbed’
Francesco Totti has been referred to Italy’s national disciplinary committee for suggesting Roma had been “robbed” of two titles.
Roma forward Francesco Totti has revealed he considered retiring from the game after the media storm that followed his Coppa Italia red card.
Totti, 33, was banned for four games after kicking out at Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli during last season’s final, which Roma lost 1-0. Balotelli was also quoted after the game as
saying Totti had racially abused him, although the Roma captain strongly denied those allegations.
Totti has now said the negative publicity that surrounded the incident made him consider his future, and he believes he may have been victimised because he is a Roman.
“There was a time when I thought about quitting,” he said. “I thought about it because of what happened, on and off the pitch. Then I talked to people close to me who made me think about it.
But when there’s passion, it’s right to continue.
“Every time something happens concerning me, it’s worth ten times as much. I have asked myself so many times why, and I’ve answered that it happens because at the end of the day I’m good.
Maybe people don’t like me because I’m from Rome.”
Totti made the comments at a press conference on Tuesday, but the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) took a dim view.
“The Giallorossi player expressed, in the judgement of the federal prosecutor, ‘opinions damaging the prestige, reputation and credibility of the referee, federal institutions as a whole and a
club operating within the FIGC’,” a statement read on Friday.
Totti had alleged that Inter Milan had been on the receiving end of some generous refereeing decisions last season and back in 2007-08, when, on both occasions, they were pushed hard by Roma
before claiming the Serie A title.
The Roma captain said: “Maybe others are stronger, but they have always been granted favours. We have been robbed of two titles.”
Totti also went on to claim that little has changed from the days of calciopoli – the match-fixing scandal which rocked Italy in 2006.
“Only the colours have changed,” he said. “There’s always a lack of whistles being blown, the problem is that the others are stronger but they’re also safeguarded from everything. There’s
always mistakes, then you always try to think that things are done in good faith.
“We need to have cameras, we need to do something, but then things would be different in the title and that’s why they won’t put them in.”
The holiday didn’t make him quiete and happy!!!!
