Francesco Totti has reignited debate around the symbolic weight of the number 10 shirt at AS Roma, while also reflecting on Paulo Dybala’s place in the club’s modern hierarchy, his relationship with Daniele De Rossi, and a few typically sharp remarks about rival loyalties in Rome.
“Roma isn’t Turin”: Totti on the No. 10 shirt and Dybala
The former Roma captain was direct when discussing whether Paulo Dybala should inherit the iconic number 10 shirt, a number deeply tied to his own legacy in the capital.
“Roma is not Turin. He spent three years at Roma, and you have to earn the number ten. I got it after seven or eight years. He’s a player who can afford it, and I’d be happy about it, but when you get him, it means you’ve achieved something important on the pitch. He did, but you need consistency for 10 to 15 years. You can’t give it to just anyone.”
“Captain Future”: Totti on Daniele De Rossi
Totti also addressed his long-standing relationship with Daniele De Rossi, dismissing any idea of internal conflict between them during their time together at Roma.
“There was never any friction between us, always respect, friendship, and mutual esteem. We didn’t grow up together; he was the ‘Captain Future,’ but he was also the captain in every way. There were never any problems; it’s just barroom talk.”
De Rossi, another central figure in modern Roma history, is widely associated with leadership succession after Totti’s era, but the former captain was firm in rejecting narratives of tension.
Lazio, loyalty, and a blunt answer
Totti also responded in characteristically provocative fashion to a question framed around identity and rivalry, referencing SS Lazio and the idea of allegiances beyond Roma.
Asked whether he would prefer “Lazio son-in-law or Roma in Serie B?”, Totti replied without hesitation:
“Lazio son-in-law, also because I had one (laughs, ed.).”
The mention of Serie B underscores the long-standing rivalry culture in Rome, where symbolic loyalty often outweighs competitive nuance.
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