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| | Week 20 Spotlight: Totti the talisman | Thursday 19 January, 2006 |
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 Player of the Week: Francesco Totti (Roma)
Francesco Totti gave an inspirational captain’s performance as he masterminded yet another win for resurgent Roma on Wednesday night.
The gifted playmaker, whose form has been integral to his side’s recent revival, scored twice and was denied a deserved hat-trick by the offside flag as he guided the Giallorossi to their fourth consecutive Serie A win - a 3-1 defeat of Reggina.
Totti’s ability has never been in question, which is why he made his debut for his hometown club at the tender age of 16. Since then, he has gone on to give 13 more years devoted service to the club he now leads with typical Roman passion.
During his glittering career, he was voted Italy’s Player of the Year after a superb Euro 2000, led his side to their first Serie A title for 18 years and scored a total of 109 goals for his outfit.
His reluctance to leave the side he supported as a boy has perhaps prevented the popular Roman from winning further honours elsewhere, but his loyalty to his team is commendable and all too rare nowadays.
Nevertheless, his dedication to his beloved Giallorossi has been known to occasionally get him into hot water both on and off the pitch. This season for example, a fracas with Juan Sebastian Veron during his side’s 3-2 win at Inter led to his sending-off. While unsavoury comments about Juve and former Roma Coach Fabio Capello in the build-up to the visit of the Italian champions left him with egg on his face when the Bianconeri routed his side 4-1.
However, the quality and consistency of Totti’s performances cannot be brought into question and explains why the 29-year-old has rattled off 42 appearances for his country.
This season Roma have struggled to get into their stride. A new Coach, dressing-room unrest during the Antonio Cassano saga and a ban on new signings have all contributed to a difficult spell for the club from the capital.
But now it seems that these troubles have served to produce a rare, united Roma, led from the front by their talismanic Totti. The creative forward, who has never been an out-and-out goalscorer, is fourth-top marksman in the League with 11 Serie A goals and if he continues to produce this level of performance, sixth-placed Roma may soon find themselves closing the seven-point gap separating them from a Champions League spot.
"Francesco is unique," said Roma Coach Luciano Spalletti after Wednesday night’s win. "It would be completely wrong to just talk about his goals because he invents assists out of nowhere, as though he’s using a rear-view mirror."
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Goal of the Week: Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria)
Palombo scored the opening goal of Samp’s impressive 3-1 win over Fiorentina in style. After just 11 minutes Fabio Bazzani teed a corner up for the midfielder and Palombo, a former Under-21 international, opened his Serie A goal account in style with a spectacular overhead kick. |
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Number of the Week: 19
Luca Toni’s six-week goal-drought is long since forgotten now that he has netted three goals in the space of four days. Two against Chievo on Sunday were followed by an equaliser against Sampdoria on Wednesday night, and although his side will have been very disappointed to lose to the Blucerchiati, Toni’s tally of 19 goals in 20 matches is simply staggering. |
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| Words: Richard Aikman |
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