Arrivederci Roma: Francesco Totti ends 30-year relationship with Roman football club

Former Roma captain Francesco Totti on his departure: ‘It feels like dying’

Former Roma player Francesco Totti has quit his directorship at the club he has always militated in
Former Roma player Francesco Totti has quit his directorship at the club he has always militated in

He ended his playing career two years ago and went on to become a director at the only football club he ever played for but now Francesco Totti has packed his bags.

The shock announcement by the 42-year-old on Monday came on the back of differences with the club’s owner and administrators.

In a lengthy press conference on Monday, Totti announced his resignation from director, insisting it felt as if he had died.

“It feels like dying,” Totti said as he ended his 30-year career with the club.

Totti cited differences with the club’s American owner, claiming that he was kept out of meetings where decisions were taken.

His relationship with president James Pallotta reportedly deteriorated, but last week the American said he offered Totti the role of technical director.

Totti’s departure from Roma follows that of long-standing former team mate Daniele de Rossi, who left the club at the end of last season after 18 years.

"The main focus of certain people has been to remove Romans from Roma… In the end, the truth came out, because they achieved what they wanted,” Totti claimed.

He added: "Pallotta surrounded himself with the wrong people and he only listens to them. Everyone makes mistakes, but if you make the same mistakes for eight years, you have to ask yourself some questions. Something clearly is going wrong."

Totti’s departure comes after a lacklustre season in which the football club from the Italian capital failed to qualify for the Champions League.

Totti started playing for Roma at the age of 12 and stuck with the club until his retirement, becoming the darling of the club’s supporters. He holds the record of goals and appearances at the Serie A club.