Maybe the fighting and the arguing is finally paying off, AS Roma skipper Francesco Totti seems to have found a new third youth lately as he has scored goals in the last two games he's played and seems like the trump card that manager Luciano Spalletti has under his sleeve in every match now. Last Wednesday he came from the bench to turn the match around from a 2-1 loss to a 3-2 victory with a 4-minute brace against Torino. This doesn't prove that the rumors about the manager and the player's differences are not true, but it does prove that Totti is far from finished.
The Italian striker who has already won a Golden Shoe in 2007, has scored 247 Serie A goals throughout his career. He is currently at number 2 in the all time goal scoring table behind legendary Silvio Piola's 274 goals. At 39 years old and on the verge of retiring from football, it seems unlikely he will score those 27 goals he needs to reach the very top, but if he keeps up this form until the end of the season, he might be able to get a little closer. It's still uncertain if Totti will continue for one more season in Roma, but he is determined to stay and try to reach Piola before he retires.
Talking to Premium Sport after the match, Spalletti was impressed with Totti's performance: "It was a crucial victory especially in conjunction with other results this evening. I was hoping that Totti could inspire us. It was great to hear the roar of the stadium. He did what he was asked the other times and is an important resource for us. This was a difficult match but with him on the field, not only do the players have an impressive emotional drive, but also the [Stadio] Olimpico is ours with him on the field."
Photo credit: AS Roma