"It wasn’t a question of weakness" - Francesco Totti reveals why he rejected chance to move to Real Madrid
AS Roma legend Francesco Totti has opened up on rejecting the chance to join Real Madrid during his career. The Italian legend rose through the ranks at the Stadio Olimpico, and played his entire senior career with the Serie A side.
Largely considered one of the greatest players in his position of his generation, Totti is a rare one-club man in football. However, his loyalty was tested on multiple occasions in his career, with Real Madrid apparently among his admirers.
The LaLiga giants have a habit of picking up some of the best talents of the land. Totti, who was among the crème de la crème of Italian football, had also popped up on Los Blancos' radar during the peak of his career.
Speaking in a recent documentary, as cited by Madrid Universal, Totti revealed that he rejected a move to the Santiago Bernabeu due to his love for Roma.
“During my career, I had the chance to play for other teams, both in Italy and abroad. Abroad, especially Real Madrid, where a transfer was very, very close,” said Totti.
He continued:
“It wasn’t a question of weakness. It was a question of love. I chose my heart. I chose my life, which I have always dedicated to Roma, to the love I felt for these colours, for this shirt.”
Totti registered 307 goals from 786 games for AS Roma during his career.
Have Real Madrid made a decision on David Alaba's future?
Real Madrid have no plans to part ways with David Alaba this summer, according to AS. The report adds that the Austrian defender is not looking to leave either.
Alaba's future has come under scrutiny following an injury-riddled 2024/25 campaign. The 32-year-old missed the first half of the campaign due to an ACL injury picked up in December 2023.
While he returned to action in January, he continued to struggle with separate fitness issues, managing just 14 appearances in the 2024/25 season. With Los Blancos securing the services of Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth, Alaba's future remains uncertain at the moment.
The Austrian currently earns €13m per year, and his contract expires in 2026. It was previously believed that the LaLiga giants could cash in on him this summer to free up the wage bill. However, Real Madrid are now willing to honour the agreement with the player and are not working to move him on at the moment.