King of Rome has Athens aim

Francesco Totti dares to dream his coronation as Roman deity may be just a few weeks away.

The enigma of Italian soccer has long been hailed as a saviour by Roma fans who worship at his feet as if a future career in the Vatican is almost a certainly, but the rest of Italy have long been confused and bemused by his uninspiring antics when sporting the blue of the Azzurri.

As much maligned outside Rome as he is celebrated within it, few doubt this gifted forward has talent to spare, but his inability to produce when it matters means his career will be remembered as a being a tale of squandered potential unless he fulfils his dream and becomes a Champions League winner in 2007.

His fleeting contribution to Italy's World Cup triumph last summer was another blot on his copybook, but as he prepares to lead his beloved Giallorossi into a Champions League quarter-final against Manchester United on Wednesday night, he can almost taste the glory that will give his career the ultimate gloss.

'It's wonderful to be skipper of a Roma side which is one of the eight best in Europe, but no one here is thinking that's enough,' begins the 30-year-old Roma skipper. 'The Final in Athens is our aim and for a Roman like me, I can think of nothing better than holding up the Champions League trophy.

'We don't need to be told what victory in this competition would mean to our fans and the way we will be remembered in this history of this club. Roma haven't got this far in years (since losing on penalties to Liverpool in the Final of 1984) and the growing feeling in our camp is that this is our year. This competition is our dream and we can make it a reality.

'Momentum plays a vital role in football and we would like to believe we are hitting our best form at just the right moment. The signs are good for us. We have the strong defence, which is fundamental to all successful teams in Europe, and we're hard to beat at home. It makes no difference to us that we must play the second-leg away and some would call it an advantage. We are going into this tie against Manchester United with amazing belief we will be in the semi-finals.'

To many an English observer, Totti is the stereotypical footballer Italy produces by the dozen. Boasting a big reputation he constantly fails to live up to, this husband of a former showgirl often gives the impression that his dashing good looks and Hollywood hair are more important to him than the game he is famous for playing.

Such luminaries as Martin O'Neill, the respected Aston Villa manager, and even Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson have been among those who doubted whether Totti is worth the hassle he invariably brings. A pop star footballer with a showbiz lifestyle, the David Beckham of Italian soccer has many doubters to convince as his career ambles towards a conclusion.

For his part, Totti has deep reservations when it comes to contemplating a life on the bleak, windswept island in northern Europe that includes England. The British newspapers were quick to pick up on Totti's comments that the English climate was just about as unpleasant as the football teams it has produced in recent times, but if you peel back the glaring headlines and listen his more complete assessment, his angst may not be so vivid.

For a soul brought up on the more clinical and cynical style synonymous with Italian football, he is unlikely to warm to the notion that a 4-3 victory is much more appealing that a dour 1-0 win. When you have been brainwashed into thinking football is a game designed to bore opponents and spectators into submission, the English game is an alien concept, though he does his best to appreciate the novelty known as excitement.

	“	They are a club of immense prestige and tradition and I'm really excited by the thought of playing on such an important football stage as Old Trafford. It's a magical place. ”
		— Francesco Totti

'English football is much more about the attacking end of the game than it is in Italy and Manchester United have proved they are the masters of ambition in the last few months,' he continues.

'I like the fluidity and variation with which they play and the creativity of players like Rooney, Scholes, Giggs and especially Ronaldo makes them a real threat all over the field.

'It was strange to hear that we had been paired with Manchester United in the quarter-finals because I said before the draw that I'd like to meet them. They are a club of immense prestige and tradition and I'm really excited by the thought of playing on such an important football stage as Old Trafford. It's a magical place.

'It goes without saying that we have a difficult task ahead of us. Manchester are not top of the English League by accident. They have become used to winning matches this season and inevitably they are full of confidence. They are the complete side, tough to penetrate at the back, very creative and with lots of goal scoring potential. From what I've seen of them they are an excellent attacking force, but I believe we are well suited to stop them.'

Totti believes their unexpectedly comfortable victory against Lyon in the last round has set the template for the tactics that will be required to beat United.

'Manchester are rightly thought of as one of the favourites for the Champions League, but our confidence received a huge boost after winning Lyon in the last round,' he states.

'On the night, everything went like clockwork for us. Our defensive game was perfect, we kept the ball well and we were always a threat when we counter-attacked. It was a really mature performance, one that gives a lot of hope for our future in this competition. After winning in France, we believed we could be Champions League winners.

'More of the same will be needed against Manchester. We'll have to be very disciplined over the two legs, close down space effectively and be clinical in front of goal. We have to play with maturity and realism and we will. Never write us off.'

As Inter stretched their lead at the top of Serie A to a somewhat embarrassing 20 points last weekend, the criticisms of misfiring Roma surfaced once again. Totti is often blamed for their inadequacies, but he offers this stout defence.

'We have been guilty of inconsistency in the Italian League this season and people have a right to ask why, but the bottom line is that you can't call a team a failure which is second in Serie A and in the last eight of the Champions League,' he argues. 'No one will be questioning Roma if I lift the Champions League trophy in Athens.'

Such a defining moment would provide Totti with the legacy he craves, so the time has come for one of Europe's most talked about footballers to prove he is worthy of the iconic status his adoring fans shower on him.

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