Francesco Totti: I wanted to play for Barcelona
Roma legend Francesco Totti has revealed he would have welcomed a move to Barcelona during his playing career.
The former Giallorossi playmaker has been immortalised in Roman folklore having representing the Stadio Olimpico club nearly 800 times during a glittering career that spanned over two decades.
During that time countless big hitters tried to prise the Italian away from his beloved Roma, but he ultimately remained loyal to the Eternal City and hung up his boots in 2017 having never parted from his boyhood club.
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Among those who had their noses pressed up against the Roma shop window were Manchester United, with Sir Alex Ferguson revealing earlier this year that he attempted to bring Totti to Old Trafford, but he refused to leave.
“When we expressed our interest, it immediately became clear that Totti didn’t want to leave Rome,” Ferguson said in April this year. “He was deeply attached to his city. His CV is clear. Totti has, in his career, only worn the Roma shirt.”
Totti has since revealed that Real Madrid tried everything to bring him to the Spanish capital as well, but even the Champions League’s most succesful club couldn’t tempt him.
However, he admits that there would have been one club that he may have been unable to refuse, if only they picked up the phone.
“No, honestly, during my career, I never talked to Barcelona about a transfer to Catalonia,” Totti revealed. “Real Madrid, on the contrary, would have done anything.
“I’m also sorry because Barcelona are a great team to watch, and it would have been nice to play there. In another world, let’s see if Barcelona will come forward.
“For me, staying in Rome was the best choice. It’s true that at some point in my career, I was close to signing for Real. But I decided with my heart.
“It’s normal that when you play in certain teams like Roma, unlike Real Madrid, you have less chance of winning a Champions League. But Roma were my champions.”
