The Totti – Spalletti feud is becoming more like an episode of 90210, One Tree Hill, or whichever God awful teen drama you want. As Roma waltzed to a 4-1 victory over their most bitter rivals on Sunday,the main talking point was not Roma’s complete and utter domination over their rivals, but instead talking heads were discussing Spalletti’s decision not to bring on Totti for his probable final Derby della Capitale.
The substitution made sense from a common sense perspective. Lazio had just pulled a goal back and the momentum could’ve been considered to be turning. However, in the 80th Spalletti opted for defender Ervin Zukanovic to come on for Salah to sure up the defense. This was Roma’s last substitute, the King of Rome would not feature in this Rome derby. In the reverse fixture almost 15 months ago, Totti salvaged a draw in this very fixture and immortalized the goal with a selfie celebration. It was telling to those watching that when Florenzi secured the three points with a stupendous volley on the edge of the box, Totti barely smiled.
The training wheels took a while to come off when the Italian came back for his second stint in charge of the club. After a draw to Verona and a loss to Juventus, Roma pulled off two consecutive victories (Frosinone and Sassuolo) for the first time since late October. Since the loss to the league leaders, Roma rolled off eight consecutive league victories, broken up by a draw to Inter before the international break and the streak was restarted by a win against Lazio.
(FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images)
Roma existed before Francesco Totti and I would assume they’ll exist after him. But it’s easy to forget in this feud, even after the Sassuolo victory in Spalletti’s fourth match, Roma were fifth and five points adrift of third placed Fiorentina. Now they are seven points ahead of fourth placed Fiorentina. A 12 point swing! Barring a complete meltdown, Roma will play a Champions League qualifier next year.
It’s actually rather hard to envision how Totti would fit into this Roma side. During Spalletti’s first reign he moulded the team around him in a good way, this time he would be basing the team round him purely on reputation alone. Whether Stephan El Shaarawy is playing like his 2012 self to spite Milan, or because Spalletti has rejuvenated him, I’m not sure. Reasoning aside, Il Faraone has been absolutely spectacular with six goals and two assists in nine games. On the opposite flank we have Mohamed Salah who has been having a stunning season (eleven goals and four assists) regardless of who’s the manager. And playing an unconventional striker role is Diego Perotti.
The Argentine possesses the role that Totti would most likely play in. Since the change of manager, Perotti has adopted a false nine role of sorts, often opting to involve El Shaarawy and Salah as strikers as Perotti drops closer to the midfield, making Salah and El Sha makeshift strikers.
It’s time for Totti to return, though. Roma are not exactly immune to a meltdown but there are an absurd amount of politics involved in modern football and particularly Italy. It’s clear the Totti – Spalletti relationship is non-existent, it’s even clearer that Totti has declined staggeringly in the past 24 months, but he is right in that he has done more to deserve this.
With modern football slowly suffocating old arts in football such as one club players, perhaps Spalletti owes it to football in a way to play Totti for the remaining seven games. Of course, Totti is not completely blameless in all of this. In a parallel universe Totti’s comments after the Real Madrid game could have destabilised Roma, caused a dressing room revolt or thrown Spalletti’s future into doubt (oh wait he did).
In truth this whole fiasco has probably not been has reactive as it could have been due to “Oh. It’s just Totti being Totti.” Roma’s all-time leading goalscorer never had to grow up. He had everyone in Rome pandering to his every request, he was used to getting everything he wanted. But Spalletti gave Totti a taste of something unfamiliar, refusal. In reality, it was the right thing to do. Spalletti will be at the Stadio Olimpico next season and there’s a very good chance Totti won’t. Spalletti needed to secure third place, he had to choose the players he believed could help him win.
And this is healthy for Roma, it is! Amongst Roma fans the past couple of years, there seems to have been fear in terms of life of Totti. Life during Spalletti’s second reign has shown there will quite easily be life after Totti, and it looks to be a good, healthy life.
Some say that nostalgia blinds our objectivity. It most definitely does, but Totti nostalgia in Rome is strong enough to override objectivity. All spats should be settled and Totti should start his farewell tour against Bologna next Monday.
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