New challenge awaits for former Roma legend Totti

A whole new challenge awaits former AS Roma legend Francesco Totti as the Serie A club return to the Champions League group stage today against Atletico Madrid. The 40year-old former player will swap his Roma shirt for a suit as he assumes the mantle of a director of the Serie A club.

As a player Totti helped Roma to a Scudetto, won a World Cup with Italy and won a European Golden Shoe. Totti played 786 matches for his hometown club after joining as a schoolboy in 1989, scoring a clubrecord 307 goals, and won the 2006 World Cup with Italy.

He retired from international football after Germany 2006 to devote all his energies to his beloved club. After retiring as a club player in May he stepped into a role as technical director. “The first part (of my life) — being a footballer-is over and now another, equally important one as a director begins, and I hope that I will be able to do what I did on the field,” Totti told Roma’s website at the time. “Football is my passion; it’s everything. It’s friendship, scoring goals, knowing new people. It’s something which touched every important part of my body.”

As Totti prepares for his new career he concedes it is still difficult for him to accept his playing days are now behind him. The former attacking midfielder played his final game after 24 years amid emotional scenes with the capital-city side in a 3-2 win against Genoa in May. “The football field has given me a lot and I tried to give a lot to these people, who showed me so much love day after day. “I start over again, on a new adventure.”

“I expect a rosy, beautiful future. I’ll pick a perfect role so that I am able to make this a great team and a great club.” — AFP