Totti: 'Cassano my best teammate'

By Football Italia staff

Francesco Totti felt his best teammate was Antonio Cassano, then discussed his rapport with Roma Coaches including Zdenek Zeman and Luciano Spalletti.

The captain turned 40 last month and sat down to look back through his career with the Corriere dello Sport.

He was asked to name the best player he ever worked with.

“Technically Cassano. Cassano, because we conversed with each other on the field and could find each other at any moment. I had a great rapport off the pitch with him too, so we were in total sync.

“We are talking about not just one of the best players in Italy, but in Europe, because in terms of talent alone he is a phenomenon.

“Then there’s Gabriel Batistuta, Vincenzo Montella, those players who made football history. They should be remembered because it was a pleasure to watch them and I was fortunate enough to play alongside them too.”

Totti’s relationship with his Coaches didn’t always go smoothly in the Giallorossi camp.

“The Coach I got along with the best was Zeman. In truth, I never had problems with the tacticians, because I always did my duty, respected them and I want to repeat I never got any Coach fired from Roma. The club always did everything.

“Perhaps the only one I had a few issues with was Carlos Bianchi. I was still young and he wasn’t very interested in the local players, as he liked the foreign ones more. Being Argentinean, he knew more about the foreign players and was unconvinced by the Romans.

“He tried in every way to push me towards new horizons. He almost managed it too, because I had agreed terms with Sampdoria. I signed the contract with them and the day after there was a tournament at the Olimpico against Ajax and Borussia Dortmund. It was the night before I was meant to leave for Sampdoria.

“Perhaps it was destiny, but that night I scored two goals against both Ajax and Borussia Dortmund. Ajax had a strong player that Bianchi wanted at all costs, but after the game (President Franco) Sensi dug his heels in and said I wouldn’t be leaving.

“At the end of the day the move collapsed and I stayed. Bianchi said it was him or me and Sensi chose Totti. From there, everything changed…”

Totti has had some issues with current boss Spalletti in recent months, but insists these were all blown out of proportion.

“I have a good rapport with Spalletti and it goes beyond football. He’s a good person, he has his own values and has done a lot for me. He wants to win and as a Coach has a football culture that goes beyond the norm.

“I think Roma made a great investment in bringing him back.”

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