Francesco Totti pretty much became a symbol for AS Roma during his playing career but when he retired in 2017 he signed off wanting to miss a penalty at the Stadio Olimpico in his final game.
After 786 games and 307 goals in the famous Roma colours, Totti broke the hearts of millions when he waved goodbye to I Giallorossi at the end of the 2016/17 season.
His final match came in a thrilling 3-2 victory against Genoa, the Italian forward was handed the captain's armband by Daniele De Rossi after coming on as a second half substitute.
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Juan Jesus revealed that his then teammate wanted to finish up the game against Genoa by missing a penalty. During a radio interview in Brazil, Jesus, still playing in the Italian capital, said, "Before his last game, Totti told us that if he had a penalty he would not score and he would send the ball to the tifosi."
The idea was to be a gesture to send the ball towards the fans, although they'd surely have prefered to celebrate a goal, in order to say thank you for all their support over the years.
Totti's plan never would have happened if the team hadn't been leading when the spot kick was awarded and no penalties were given in the match anyway so it was never an issue.
Instead the former Serie A champion sent a message to the fans after full time saying, "I'd like to think that for you, my career has become a fairytale for you to pass on."
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The win meant that Roma qualified for the following seasons Champions League, which is as fitting a tribute to the player that they were likely to be able to muster.
He became a club director after retiring in July 2017 but only lasted two years in the boardroom. He quit in June 2019 claiming club chairman James Pallotta had not involved him enough in decisions about the running of the club.
His resignation ended 30 years with the club in which he won the Serie A title in 2001, two Coppa Italias and two Supercopas, as well as winning the World Cup with Italy.
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A true modern legend of the sport.
Featured Image Credit:Topics:ย Football News, Serie A, AS Roma, Roma, Penalty, Italy, Francesco Totti
