‘King of Rome’ takes final bow
CLUB LEGEND HOPING TO GET ON TO THE FIELD Treble-chasing Juve have luxury of giving stars some rest.
While coach Massimiliano Allegri rings the changes for Juventus ahead of their bid for a historic club treble, Serie A will wave farewell to legendary Francesco Totti in his final game for Roma tomorrow.
Allegri faces arguably the biggest challenge of his career when the Turin giants face Real Madrid in the Champions League final in Cardiff on June 3.
But with a record sixth consecutive scudetto, and record third successive league and Cup double now in the bag, the coach can at least afford to rest key players for tomorrow’s final league outing of the season at Bologna.
As Juventus look to emluate Inter Milan, the first Italian team to win the treble, in 2010 under Jose Mourinho, closest rivals Roma host Genoa looking for the win that would comfortably secure the league’s second automatic Champions League spot.
For once this season, the Stadio Olimpico will be filled to capacity but only because Totti, having played 25 seasons with the Giallorossi, will make his final Serie A appearance. Or at least hope to. With Roma requiring a win to keep Napoli, one point further adrift, from snatching second spot, coach Luciano Spalletti may rain on Totti’s parade.
“Even though he deserves everything that comes his way when he retires, my job is to make sure Roma win,” Spalletti said.
Totti not making an appearance in his own finale would do little for Spalletti’s popularity in a week in which he has been linked with the vacant coach’s job at Inter Milan, who have already failed to qualify for Europe before they host Udinese at the San Siro.
Despite winning only one scudetto, in 2001, the “King of Rome” – as one-club man Totti has been known – is so respected that even the hardline “ultra” fans of city rivals Lazio are admirers.
“We’ve been enemies all our lives, but we salute you Francesco Totti,” read a banner at the Stadio Olimpico last week as Lazio suffered a rare defeat to Inter. – AFP