Totti reveals his playing days are definitely over

Francesco Totti has confirmed his retirement as a player by accepting a directorship role with Roma.

The 40-year-old, who represented the Giallorossi for 24 years as a striker, played his last game for the Serie A club in May but his status since had been uncertain as he fielded offers.

In an interview published on Roma’s official website last night, Totti admitted his illustrious on-pitch career was a thing of the past and that a new life in football management awaited him.

He said: “The end of my playing career was May 28, 2017. That for me was an historic day. I’ll carry it with me forever. It will be hard to explain to people the feelings and emotions I felt that day.

“The first part of my life, as a player, has ended but now I’m heading into an equally important part as a manager, hoping to do as well as I did on the field.”

Totti, who made his debut as a 16-year-old in 1993 and won the Scudetto once, in 2001, had offers from China and the MLS. But he added: “Now I’ll try to make myself available at all 360 degrees, from the youth team to the president. It might take six months, a year, two years... I don’t know how long it will take to find the role I prefer.”