Standup9ja: Totti
Not Sure He Is Ready To Quit
Totti might
postpone his retirement, as he hinted at a new adventure, following his
emotional farewell at Roma.
Totti came off
the bench to help Roma to a 3-2 win on the final game of the season, sending
them to second and automatic UCL qualification.
It was
confirmed the legendary Roma player would not be signing a new contract and he
was expected to take a non-player role at the club, but that might not be the
case.
“I like to
think of my career as a fairytale to tell – and this is the worst part,” Totti
said. “Now it really is over.
“I take off my
shirt for the last time. I will fold it nicely, even if I have to admit I’m not
ready to say it’s over and maybe I never will be.
“Sorry if
during this period I didn’t give interviews or clarified my thoughts, but it’s
not easy to switch that light off. Now I am afraid. It’s not the same fear you
have in front of the goal when you need to score a penalty. This time I cannot
see through the holes in the net what lies beyond.
“So allow me to
be a little afraid. This time I am the one who needs you and your warmth. What
you’ve always shown me. With your affection, I will certainly be able to turn
the page and throw myself into a new adventure.”
“It is
impossible to sum up 28 years in a few sentences,” Totti said. “I’d like to do
so with a song or poem, but I can’t write any.
“Over the
years, I’ve tried to express myself through my feet, which have made everything
simpler for me ever since I was a child. Speaking of childhood, can you guess
what my favourite toy was? A football, of course! And it still is today.
“At some point
in life, you grow up – that’s what I’ve been told and that’s what time has
decided. Damned time.
“Back on June
17, 2001, we all wanted time to pass a little more quickly. We couldn’t wait to
hear the referee blow the final whistle. I still get goosebumps now when I
think back to it.
“Today, time
has come to tap me on the shoulder and say: ‘We have to grow up. As of
tomorrow, you’ll be an adult. Take off those shorts and boots because starting
today, you are a man. You can no longer enjoy the smell of the grass, the sun
on your face as you bear down on the opposition’s goal, the adrenaline
consuming you, the joy of celebrating.’
“Over the past
few months, I’ve asked myself why I’m being awoken from this dream. Imagine you’re
a child having a good dream… and your mother wakes you up to go to school. You
want to keep dreaming… you try to slip back into the dream but you never can.
“This time,
it’s not a dream, but reality. And I can no longer slip back in.”
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