The Most Remarkable Thing About a Remarkable Player

Francesco Totti was a remarkable player. He was remarkable in many ways and for many reasons. His talent; remarkable. His numbers; remarkable. His longevity; remarkable. So many things about his 25 year AS Roma career have been remarkable. However, there is one thing about Totti that may be more remarkable than anything else. His loyalty. 
Totti is one of a dying breed. He was a one club man. A world class player that played his entire career with one team. Paolo Maldini at AC Milan. Ryan Giggs at Manchester United. Carlos Puyol at Barcelona. Those are a few examples. They are a rare breed for sure. 
However, there is something in my opinion that makes Totti’s loyalty just a bit more impressive. Roma is not Manchester United, Barcelona, or AC Milan. Roma doesn’t have the prestige or winning pedigree of those clubs. While the likes of the above mentioned players were lifting Champions League, Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A trophies; Totti was often getting knocked out in the early rounds of the Champions League, or finishing behind stronger Juve, Inter or AC Milan squads in Serie A. 
In an era of big money transfers, Totti most certainly could’ve left and filled his trophy case with much more than his lone Scudetto, two Coppa Italia, and two Supercoppa Italia trophies. In his prime any of the giants of European football would’ve paid a hefty sum for Totti in a heartbeat. Just imagine how many La Liga trophies he could’ve won playing on Real Madrid or Premier League titles he would’ve lifted at United. 
From a statistical standpoint Totti certainly left his mark playing at Roma.  He scored 250 in Serie A (2nd most all-time) and 306 in all-competitions. Totti even won 2006/07 Italian golden boot with 26 goals. Remarkable numbers for sure but could they have been gaudier playing with more talented players around him? Imagine Totti alongside Raul at Real Madrid or receiving passes from David Beckham at Old Trafford. The stuff of dreams for sure.
However, every time he was tempted to leave Totti stuck it out at his beloved Roma. Totti sacrificed trophies for something that money can’t buy; Love. Totti loves the city of Rome and AS Roma. His love of both was too strong to tear him away and leave for greener pastures. It is often said there is no place like home and this rang true for the Roman born and bred Totti. 
While discussing the topic with a friend the other day, he said, “I wish these guys (Totti, De Rossi, etc) had the balls to leave and play for bigger clubs.” With a player like Totti it’s about so much more than not having the guts to go abroad. It’s about more than the money. It’s about more than the trophies. It’s about love and loyalty for one’s club, city and fans. All the money in the world can’t buy these things. Loyalty. The most remarkable thing about the remarkable career of Francesco Totti.

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