Purity is what football has always bled. There is no definitive answer as to why this sport, above any other, has such a following, one that borders on religion. Football is more important than life and death, one of the game’s greats once said. Did Bill Shankly think those words would immortalise him as they have? We’ll never know.
Some love that quote, others cannot stand it, but it is exactly that sort of ideology that makes football what it is. Of course, when true disaster strikes, it pales into insignificance. Perspective is a wonderful thing, but football can give life meaning, it can save people from hell and make them feel whole.
The passion Liverpool legend Shankly had for the game, and that particular club, did exactly that. To those who remember him, and even those who see him through books and the glass of a television screen, the Scot was the godfather of the club he served. Anfield is still, in part at least, a shrine to him, and his legacy is one of the most famous and successful footballing institutions in recent history.
As time has passed, football has forgotten itself. What makes it so special, the passion and the heart, the mantra Shankly lived by, is being replaced by a need to win at any cost or, worse, earn as much money as possible.
This week, though, the beautiful game got a reminder. AS Roma announced their greatest ever player, Francesco Totti, would be hanging up his boots aged 40, 25 years after he broke into the first team at the Stadio Olimpico. Totti embodied everything great about the game, Rome, his club and Italy; perhaps the most remarkable footballer of his generation.
Such a statement isn’t sweeping; it does not refer to his technical ability, of which he had plenty, or even his longevity, but rather his undying commitment to Roma, the club he has captained since 1998, the place he has embedded into.
There are fully grown adults walking this earth and paving their way in life who have never experienced the Giallorossi without Totti. To call him a legend, a talisman or even an icon is an understatement. In the modern era, loyalty is non-existent, replaced by greed, a demand for instant money and success, no matter how or where.
‘One club men’ are a dying breed, but again, that tag does not do Totti justice. Comparing him to great players elsewhere, like Ryan Giggs at Manchester United or Steven Gerrard at Liverpool, an heir to the Shankly throne; these players enjoyed remarkable times with their clubs, producing era-defining moments of magic, but neither stood up and represented in every other sense. Totti most certainly did; he wasn’t just a fan, he was an ultra.
He was never going to leave home, because as he put it: “Winning one title with Roma would mean more than 10 with Real Madrid or Juventus.” One is what he got, too, when Roma won the Serie A in 2001. But not only was the Olimpico the only place for him, Italy was too. Calcio, as football is known in the country, has allowed him to squeeze every last ounce out of his incredible career.
Totti is perhaps the best example of this, a man who allowed his passion and love to draw up his path, but he is far from the only one in Italian football. Playing until 40 years of age is some achievement, just like Paolo Maldini did at AC Milan, spending 24 years at the San Siro. Alessandro Del Piero, who played for Juventus for many years, was both Totti’s partner in crime and arch-nemesis, depending on what shirt they were wearing.
For the Azzurri, the pair cemented themselves as greats by lifting the World Cup in 2006. Del Piero scored a crucial semi-final goal against the hosts, Germany, while Totti held his ironclad nerve to score a last minute penalty against Australia in the last 16. They both played their part in their country’s greatest ever sporting achievement.
When Juve met Roma, it was war, but not a very fair one in Totti’s case. Both playing very similar roles on the pitch, in a sort of half striker, half attacking midfielder role, some found it tough to see how they would ever play together. Against each other, Del Piero often came out on top, and by winning the Champions League once and Serie A six times, he had the better career according to the books.
Paper and statistics have never told Totti’s story, and it is hard for some to comprehend just how great he has been. The English media, in particular, have struggled. Glenn Hoddle and Graeme Souness, former English and Scottish greats, couldn’t help but show disregard when discussing him on Sky Sports a number of years ago.
“He’s not top drawer,” Hoddle scoffed in agreement after Souness had been remarkably blasé about Totti’s performance after coming off the bench, scoring a penalty in the Champions League. “He should have moved on, someone would have come and got him if he was top drawer.”
Misunderstood would be the perfect word to sum up Totti for that exact reason. Such is the idea that helping Roma punch to that weight, challenging for titles and playing in Europe, was never considered. Many, like Hoddle, believe that no matter what, turning down Real Madrid is not an option. If a player didn’t sign for them, then they were never interested.
Totti may never get the credit he deserves, but he should be footballing royalty. Without him, there is no telling where Roma would be, but he most definitely would be worse off without his beloved club too. In a world captivated by cynicism, negativity and unfairness, Totti’s career was a reminder of the true reasons for playing football; passion, love and dedication, but in ways that may never be seen again.
Francesco Totti is proof that Bill Shankly was at least half right – football is for life.
