Roma legend Francesco Totti has made a stunning confession, revealing his infamous red card kick on prime notorious Mario Balotelli was a premeditated act against an "arrogant and presumptuous" player. The Roma legend also opened up on his bitter feud with Luciano Spalletti and the emotional trauma of being forced to retire from his boyhood club.
Totti meets Balotelli in cup final
Totti has revealed that his infamous kick on Balotelli during the 2010 Coppa Italia final was a premeditated act born from long-standing frustration with the striker's attitude. In a remarkably candid interview with former Italy teammate Luca Toni on 's 'Fenomeni' podcast, the World Cup winner opened up on the most controversial moments of his career, his bitter fallout with Luciano Spalletti, and the emotional turmoil of his forced retirement.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportThe infamous Balotelli kick explained
The most striking revelation centred on the final minutes of the 2010 final between Roma and Inter, which saw Totti shown a straight red card for a wild, cynical kick on a young Balotelli. The Roma captain came off the bench for the second half and was dismissed in the 87th minute as his side lost 1-0. He has now admitted the challenge was not a moment of spontaneous madness, but a calculated decision to lash out at a player whose on-field persona he disliked.
“The Balotelli thing had been brewing for a while," Totti confessed. "He was young and phenomenal, but also so arrogant and presumptuous. My goal that day wasn't to equalise the game; I just thought that if I had the opportunity, I'd take the opportunity to send him into the stands. Then I heard from him and apologised, and we laughed it off.”
Balotelli himself, speaking on a separate occasion, had a different theory, suggesting Totti's anger was misdirected. "I don't think he was angry with me for that reason. In the final of the Coppa Italia, he got angry with the coach who had not let him play from the beginning and that's why he was nervous," Balotelli said.
'Spalletti came to Roma to make me quit'
Totti also addressed the complete breakdown of his relationship with coach Spalletti during the manager's second spell at the Stadio Olimpico. He claimed Spalletti returned in 2016 with a clear agenda, supported by the club's hierarchy, to push him into retirement.
“In my view, Spalletti arrived in 2016 with the express idea of making me retire, backed by the club. There were always problems with him; towards me, Spalletti was the exact opposite of the one he had been in 2005," Totti stated. "Perhaps he was convinced that I had pushed him away by taking Ranieri in his place, but that's not true: the management called me and other players to ask us who we wanted between Mancini, Ranieri, and others."
The emotional trauma of forced retirement
The Giallorossi icon detailed the immense pain of being told his 25-year career at his boyhood club was over, claiming he felt more let down by the club than by Spalletti at that moment. The emotional farewell at the Stadio Olimpico in May 2017 was a traumatic experience that left him feeling lost.
"When I left, it was the club who told me I had to stop," he revealed. "I'm not stupid; I knew I'd have to stop sooner or later, but I still felt good in my legs and head. Perhaps on that occasion, Roma disappointed me more than Spalletti; I think I was a nuisance. I said I'd play even for free; I'd give everything for Roma. When I stopped playing, I felt like I had no ground under my feet. For three weeks, I cried every day. I was scared… That day, for me, was like a separation between mother and son."