But at least it had Totti.

The Golden Child. The Phenomenon. The Captain. The Legend. The greatest player who ever wore the Roma jersey, and one who grew up not far from the Colosseum, as a die-hard fan. He refused to leave Rome — the team or the city — no matter how much money bigger clubs threw at him. Fans, including some supporters of the rival Roman club, Lazio, called him “the symbol of Rome,” “the emblem of Rome,” “Rome.”

“Rome is a city of symbols, the pope, the Colosseum. And Totti is part of this,” said Maurizio Crosetti, a sportswriter for La Repubblica, who considered Totti essential for beleaguered Romans who struggled to tell a good story about themselves. “He was something not to be ashamed of.”

And so Romans, both fans and citizens, took his departure especially hard.

“Today it’s hard to live in Rome,” said Giulio Lucarelli, whose Core de Roma restaurant, on Totti’s childhood street, is essentially a shrine to the “yellow and red,” as the Roma team is often called because of its colors. “The image of Rome has yellowed from the vivid yellow and red of the glory days.”

Totti’s career spanned more than 25 years. He first caught the notice of soccer aficionados at age 12 as a junior player on Roma’s youth teams. He broke into the first team in 1993 at age 16, dazzling the city with his skill and imagination.