Two countries unite to salute record-breaking Totti Italy and England rarely agree on football matters, but the two countries were united in saluting record-breaking striker Francesco Totti on Wednesday. Three days after his 38th birthday, the Roma talisman became the oldest goalscorer in Champions League history when he hit the net in his clubs 1-1 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday evening. The equaliser, which enabled Totti to claim a record previously held by Ryan Giggs, left City on the brink of another early exit from the competition and could be on-form Romas key to the knockout stages in a group also containing 2013 champions Bayern Munich. A Champions League winners medal is the one major honour missing from World Cup winner Tottis trophy cabinet after a career that has made him an idol in his home city. After turning down local rivals Lazio because he could not bear the idea of playing against his beloved Roma, Totti made his debut for the club as a 16-year-old - at a time when Serie A was considered the best league in the world. He has gone to become Italys equivalent of David Beckham complete with a former model wife, Ilary Blasi, a reported 4.3-million-euro annual salary and the celebrity lifestyle to go with it. But he continues to be seen as a simple, down-to-earth figure whose thick Roman accent is often affectionately mocked. Typically, he played down the latest milestone, instead talking up Romas prospects of getting out of the tough group. I wasnt thinking about that, he said. It was a beautiful goal and a beautiful performance but it is the performance that counts. When the team helps you to score, the records arrive by themselves, thats normal. Tottis first-half strike involved a trademark display of guile, his finish deftly clipped over advancing City goalkeeper Joe Hart with the outside of his right boot. A Totti eclipse of the Hart, trumpeted the back-page splash of Britains biggest-selling tabloid, The Sun. Italys Corriere della Sera pronounced The age of gold while La Repubblica saluted A Totti pearl that had earned Roma a golden draw, - both references to one of the Roma skippers many nicknames, Golden Boy. Italian media also relayed the avalanche of praise for the one-club icon from England, which included the much used eternal player from the eternal city and the Guardians classically-influenced headline: Ageless Totti extends Citys toils. Tottis legs may not be able to carry him to quite the places he would still like to go, but his brain has always allowed him to operate in a space that many players simply fail to see, observed The TimesBritish media have not always been as kind to Totti, who went into Tuesdays match with a reputation for being a cross-Channel choker, having failed to score or shine in nine previous club appearances on English soil. Twitter jibe It was a record that Citys media team unwisely decided to highlight in the build-up to the match. In a message to Romas official feed, @MCFC tweeted: Were looking forward to hosting you @OfficialASRoma, and a legendary player such as Totti. Hes never scored in England, has he? Roma replied: Youre right, @MCFC. Our Capitano has never scored in England. But theres always a first time for everything. Whether the jibe made any difference or not, it was obvious from the outset of Tuesdays clash that Totti was in the mood in a city where he suffered one of the most humiliating nights of his career when Roma were hammered 7-1 by Manchester United in April 2007. If Gervinho had made more of a superb Totti set-up, Roma might easily have secured all three points on Tuesday night and their captain believes their current form makes them a match for anyone in Europe. We had the clearer chances and it was not easy after going a goal down, Totti said. But we reacted immediately against one of the strongest squads in Europe. This result changes nothing. Our objective remains to do our best and get through the group. We know it will not be easy with teams like Bayern and City but we can pose problems for anyone.
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 18:47:15 +0000
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