Since the launch of the new official AS Roma website over two years go, AsRoma.it has offered fans a reliable source for news and information, both in Italian and English. In addition to this, it has also given us many great features and stories, such as this one on Francesco Totti: 20 years.
Its a nice dedication to the 20th anniversary of Il Capitano’s Serie A debut in a Roma jersey way back against Foggia in 1996, highlight each and every one of his goals during his career thus far. All text credit to AsRoma.it.
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1992/93, 1993/94 AND 1994/95 SEASONS
1992/93
Francesco Totti’s first season in Serie A was 1992/93 and the blond-haired boy from Porta Metronia made his league debut at Brescia’s Stadio Rigamonti on March 28, 1993. With the Giallorossi leading 2-0 and the three points already in the bag, Vujadin Boškov decided to bring on a promising Primavera kid in the 87th minute. A 16-year-old who would never have dreamed of making his first-team debut that afternoon. Totti took over from Ruggiero Rizzitelli and stepped into Roma history. He later made his second league appearance against Ancona.
1993/94
Totti played eight games this year without getting on the score sheet. But his talent and ability were there for all to see, most notably in the second derby meeting of the season, Lazio v Roma. Carlo Mazzone threw the youngster on in a bid to get the team back on level terms and Francesco took to the task enthusiastically, spreading havoc among the hosts’ backline and even earned a penalty. Unfortunately Giuseppe Giannini missed from the spot.
1994/95
The future Giallorossi captain scored his first Serie A goal on September 4, 1994, in the 29th minute of the season’s curtain-opener between Roma and Foggia: a left-footed strike that proved unstoppable for Francesco Mancini. It was to be the first in a long series. He went on to make 21 appearances that campaign, hitting four goals.
IL CAPITANO’S GOALS
1) 9/4/1994: Roma 1-1 Foggia (left foot)
Jonas Thern floated a ball into the box and Daniel Fonseca, with his back to goal, nodded the ball out to the edge of the area, where the onrushing Totti was on hand to fire an unstoppable left-footer into the bottom corner. A legend was born.
2) 1/8/1995: Roma 2-0 Bari (right foot)
Totti played a one-two with Abel Balbo and entered the box as he collected the return pass. Alberto Fontana rushed off his line but Francesco coolly dinked the ball over the Bari keeper.
3) 4/15/1995: Roma 3-0 Brescia (left foot)
Massimiliano Cappioli’s long-range volley was fumbled by Ivan Gamberini and, after the goalkeeper had combined with a defender to make a hash of the clearance, the ball ran to Totti, who blasted gratefully into an empty net.
4) 5/7/1995: Roma 2-0 Fiorentina (left foot)
After bringing down a cross inside the area, Balbo rolled the ball back to the edge of the box for Totti to drill a low first-time effort into the corner. Francesco Toldo could do nothing but watch.
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1995/96, 1996/97 AND 1997/98 SEASONS
1995/96
Totti, who hadn’t yet turned 20 at the time, became an increasingly important part of the first team. He still wasn’t scoring many goals (only two), but he established himself as a first-team regular, making 28 appearances. This season was the first time in Italian football that players got to choose their jersey numbers and stick with them for the entire season: Francesco chose number 20.
1996/97
Carlos Bianchi took over at Roma. The Argentine tactician had been a very successful coach back in his homeland but had yet to make a name for himself in Europe. He immediately described Totti as “a normal player”, and even contemplated selling him to Sampdoria during the January transfer window. But Francesco showed exactly what he was made of and before the season had ended it was the coach who was packing his bags and on his way out of the club. 26 appearances and 5 goals wearing jersey number 17.
1997/98
President Sensi’s decision to bring in Zeman as coach marked the turning point in the footballing career of Totti. Zeman immediately gave the player from Porta Metronia a lot more responsibility, handing him the No.10 shirt and fielding him on the left of his three-man attack. For the first time in his career, Totti’s goal tally for the season reached double figures: 13 goals in 30 appearances.
IL CAPITANO’S GOALS
5) 11/26/1995: Roma 2-1 Bari (right foot)
A through ball from Abel Balbo released Totti. Francesco surged towards the onrushing goalkeeper and beat him with a delicate chip from outside the box.
6) 3/31/1996: Bari 1-2 Roma (left foot)
Francesco Statuto sent a pass into the box and the ball took one bounce before Totti unleashed a blast off his laces from close range giving Alberto Fontana no chance.
7) 10/12/1996: Roma 3-0 AC Milan (right foot)
Sebastiano Rossi came off his line to the edge of the box for a bouncing ball, where Totti also happened to be waiting. Francesco got the better of the keeper and bent the ball just inside the post with the outside of his foot.
8 ) 12/01/1996: Roma 3-3 Fiorentina (right foot)
Balbo’s flicked-on header found Totti, who smashed the ball inside the far post from just outside the six-yard box.
9) 02/23/1997: Roma 2-2 Reggiana (right foot)
Balbo reached the goal line and cut the ball back. Totti arrived right on time to place a low shot inside the corner to the keeper’s left.
10) 3/9/1997: Roma 4-3 Verona (right foot)
A ball over the top of the defense from Carboni. Totti stretched to reach it and touched it past the onrushing goalkeeper.
11) 5/15/1997: Atalanta 0-4 Roma (right foot, direct free kick)
A free kick from 22 yards out. Totti’s right-footed attempt cleared the wall and nestled into the top left corner as the goalkeeper could only stand like a statue and watch. His first goal from a free kick. Simply perfect.
12) 09/21/1997: Roma 3-1 Lecce (right foot)
A free kick was chipped into the box. Totti controlled it with his chest, turned and volleyed past the keeper to open the scoring for the Giallorossi.
13) 11/9/1997: Bari 1-3 Roma (right foot, direct free kick)
Another free kick, but this one was anything but delicate: Totti’s low blast penetrated the wall and settled in the bottom corner.
14) 11/9/1997: Bari 1-3 Roma (right foot)
Tommasi crossed into the box. While pivoting on his left foot, Totti connected with his right for a volley. It was unstoppable and completed his first ever brace in Serie A.
15) 11/30/1997: Parma 0-2 Roma (right foot)
A long ball over the top beat the defense. From an onside position, Totti gathered the ball, raced in on Buffon and beat him with an angled right-footer to give Roma the lead.
16) 7/12/1997: Roma 3-0 Atalanta (left foot)
Totti collected the ball on the edge of the box. It took a slight hop before he smashed a left-footer into the top corner of the far post.
17) 2/22/1998: Napoli 0-2 Roma (right foot)
Totti stole the ball on the edge of the box and hammered a right-footer past the helpless goalkeeper. Power and precision.
18) 3/1/1998: Roma 4-1 Fiorentina (right foot, direct free kick)
Free kick on the edge of the box. With surgical precision, Totti’s right-footed attempt found the upper corner as the keeper could only watch in wonder.
19) 3/29/1998: Roma 2-2 Parma (left foot)
The first splendid ‘cucchiaio’ [chipped goal] of his career. On a breakaway run, Francesco Totti slowed down slightly to get a look at the keeper’s position. His left foot then gently scooped underneath the ball, lifting it on a high arc before it gently settled into the back of the net. And who was the unfortunate keeper who fell victim to this magnificent piece of skill? Why, none other than Gigi Buffon.
20) 4/19/1998: Rome 5-0 Brescia (right foot)
With his back to goal, Marco Delvecchio picked out Totti. He faked a shot with his left to beat a defender, cut to his right and then lifted the ball over the keeper.
21) 4/26/1998: Udinese 4-2 Roma (left foot)
Cafu crossed into the box. The ball took a bounce towards Totti who ripped a left-footer. Frezzolin managed to get his hands to it but couldn’t keep it from hitting the back of the net.
22) 4/26/1998: Udinese 4-2 Roma (left foot)
Candela hit a perfect diagonal pass into the box. Totti’s right foot killed the ball with his first touch, then his left foot threaded it past the keeper. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Francesco Totti. His second brace in Serie A.
23) 5/10/1998. Piacenza 3-3 Roma (penalty)
Totti’s first of many penalties. Accurate, crisp, low and just out of the keeper’s reach.
24) 5/16/1998: Roma 2-0 Sampdoria (right foot)
The ball was loose on the edge of the box. A lurking Francesco Totti timed his approach perfectly, allowing him to uncork a half-volleyed torpedo with his right that leaves the keeper helpless.
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1998/99, 1999/00 AND 2000/01 SEASONS
1998/99
Totti continued to flourish under Zeman’s wing and scale new heights. The No.10 was now regularly dominating games and earned his first Italy call-up. Azzurri head coach Dino Zoff gave him his international debut on October 10, 1998 as Italy beat Switzerland 2-0. Totti also became the club captain and reached double figures for the season, scoring 12 goals in 31 games.
1999/00
Fabio Capello took over as the new Giallorossi coach and was immediately taken by Totti’s special talent. Speaking to traditional Italian football program Domenica Sportiva after Fiorentina 1-3 Roma, the future England manager described Francesco as “the new [Gianni] Rivera”. The captain made 27 appearances, netting seven times.
2000/01
Totti went into the season on a high after playing a starring role for Italy at Euro 2000, receiving worldwide plaudits for his goals, top-quality performances and, most memorably, for his penalty conversion in the semi-final shootout against the Netherlands (a trademark “spoon” chip). The captain led the Giallorossi’s title charge, chalking up 13 goals in 30 games as Roma claimed the Scudetto.
IL CAPITANO’S GOALS
25) 9/12/1998: Roma 3-1 Salernitana (right foot)
Alessandro Frau’s backheel found Totti in space outside the box and the captain’s daisy-cutter fizzed through the crowd and into the bottom corner.
26) 10/17/1998: Roma 2-1 Fiorentina 2-1 (left foot)
Totti sealed a brilliant Giallorossi comebacki. Gustavo Bartelt’s shot from an acute angle was parried by Francesco Toldo and it dropped for Totti, who drilled home the winner with his left. The Olimpico erupted.
27) 10/31/1998: Roma 4-0 Udinese (left foot)
A long ball upfield was nodded on into the box by Marco Delvecchio for Totti to run onto. After taking a bounce it sat up nicely for him just begging to be walloped and Francesco duly complied, unleashing a rocket that whizzed into the goal below the bar. A moment that remains etched in the memories of Giallorossi fans. It was also the first game for Totti wearing the captain’s armband. And by no means the last.
28) 10/31/1998: Roma 4-0 Udinese (penalty)
Francesco stepped up to the spot and drove the ball straight down the middle with the keeper diving out the way. The icing on the cake of a magical evening.
29) 11/21/1998: Roma 1-1 Bari (penalty)
This time the captain’s penalty was struck powerfully and high to the keeper’s right. Francesco Mancini went the right way but could get nowhere near the ball as it flew into the top corner.
30) 11/29/1998: Lazio 3-3 Roma 3-3 (right foot)
Roma had lost the last four derbies and Lazio were leading 3-2. Delvecchio held off a challenge on the edge of the box and poked the ball back to Totti, who clipped it goalwards: not an irresistible strike but it was enough to beat Luca Marchigiani. Francesco’s first against our city rivals earned Roma a 3-3 draw. Cue celebrations.
31) 12/5/1998: Roma 5-0 Perugia (right foot)
Totti struck a vicious effort with his instep from outside the area. The ball curled in towards goal and stayed low: the keeper could only watch as it flew past him. Totti the sniper.
32) 4/11/1999: Roma 3-1 Lazio (right foot)
Half a season after that 3-3 draw with the Biancocelesti, Roma were determined to make up for lost time and win this one. Aleničev weaved his way through the Lazio defense and the ball ran loose inside the box. Totti’s first effort was blocked but he controlled the rebound and fired home from an angle. He then revealed a T-shirt saying “Vi ho purgato ancora” (I’ve purged you again). The Stadio Olimpico was in raptures.
33) 4/25/1999: Roma 1-0 Parma (right foot, direct free kick)
Free kick on the right of the area. Totti curled it round the wall and the ball bounced in front of and past Gigi Buffon, the Italy No.1 caught out by the trajectory.
34) 5/3/1999: Roma 4-5 Inter (penalty)
Francesco’s penalty reduced the deficit in an extraordinary game. A “classic” conversion, low to the keeper’s right.
35) 5/16/1999: Roma 3-1 Cagliari (right foot)
Paulo Sergio pulled the ball back from the byline with the goal unguarded. Totti brought it under control then fired downwards into the back of the net.
36) 5/16/1999: Roma 3-1 Cagliari (header)
Luigi Di Biagio whipped in a free kick, Totti rose and headed back across goal and past the keeper for his second of the game. His first header.
37) 8/29/1999: Piacenza 1-1 Roma (penalty)
Totti netted the first goal of Fabio Capello’s reign, a penalty driven low into the bottom corner. This season saw the No.10 alternate penalty-taking responsibilities with Vincenzo Montella.
38) 9/26/1999: Roma 3-1 Perugia (penalty)
Another penalty with Francesco again sending it to the keeper’s right.
39) 11/7/1999: Reggina 0-4 Roma (penalty)
Totti stepped up to the 12-yard spot and blasted it in under the bar to the right of the keeper.
40) 12/5/1999: Roma 3-2 Lecce (right foot)
Montella nudged a backheel into the path Totti, whose powerfully struck effort bent the keeper’s hands on its way into the back of the net. A blistering finish to a wonderful team move.
41) 1/16/2000: Roma 3-1 Verona (header)
A ball was dinked into the centre of the box and Totti popped up to nod beyond the keeper. A true centre forward’s goal.
42) 1/22/2000: Roma 2-1 Piacenza (right foot)
Cafu’s cross was met at the far post by Totti, who chested down before pinging a low shot goalwards: it ricocheted off Flavio Roma and into the net. Hardly one of the best goals of all time but it was effective: it earned the team three points at the death.
43) 4/16/2000: Roma 2-0 Bologna (penalty)
This was a taste of what was to come, though no one knew it at the time. Totti ran towards the penalty spot, drew his right foot back and… instead of blasting the ball or placing it into the corner he gently scooped it up. The crowd watched as it floated over the helpless keeper. And thus Totti’s spoon penalty was born. The whole world would discover it a few months later, when he pulled it out of his locker again against the Netherlands in the semi-finals at Euro 2000. But this was the day history was made.
44) 10/1/2000: Roma 2-0 Bologna (header)
The first game of a very special season. And who else could be the first on the score sheet but him? Francesco Totti, the captain. Assunção bent in a free kick from the right, the number ten stole a yard on his marker and headed home. There was a Scudetto to take off Lazio’s shirts and this was the start of the revolution.
45) 10/15/2000: Lecce 0-4 Roma (penalty)
A penalty to wrap up the scoring as the Giallorossi put four past Lecce. Totti fired past Antonio Chimenti at mid-height.
46) 10/22/2000: Roma 3-1 Vicenza (right foot)
Delvecchio’s delivery to the far post was met by the oncoming Totti, who cushioned a side-footed volley into the net. His third goal in as many games.
47) 11/12/2000: Roma 2-1 Reggina (penalty)
Totti placed his penalty into the bottom corner with surgical precision. Roma were gearing up for take-off.
48) 11/19/2000: Verona 1-4 Roma (left foot)
Delvecchio’s low cross rolled across the box until it met Francesco’s left foot around the 12-yard mark. Fabrizio Ferron was beaten and Roma had a 2-1 lead. The fans were starting to realize just what this side might be capable of: they looked a match for anybody.
49) 11/10/2000: Roma 2-1 Udinese (left foot)
A simply stunning strike. Even more so than his goal against Udinese two seasons earlier, and this time he did it in front of the Curva Nord. Cafu crossed from deep to beyond the far side of the six-yard box, Francesco wrapped his left foot around it and angled the sweetest of volleys past Luigi Turci and into the opposite corner. Another beauty to add to the Totti collection.
50) 1/14/2001: Roma 1-1 Bari (penalty)
Totti rammed his penalty past Jean Francois Gillet into the net, the Belgian keeper getting a touch but failing to keep it out. A crucial goal that salvaged a point for the Giallorossi. Totti’s first of the new Millennium.
51) 1/21/2001: AC Milan 3-2 Roma (right foot)
Two-nil down, this was the goal that reignited hope. Totti pulled the trigger from long range, it deflected off Paolo Maldini’s arm and sneaked inside the post.
52) 1/21/2001: AC Milan 3-2 Roma (penalty)
The captain converted a spot kick to keep Roma in with a chance of grabbing a point, but unfortunately the third goal wasn’t to be. This was the first time Totti sent his penalty – firmly sidefooted – to the left of the keeper. And his first double in San Siro.
53) 1/28/2001: Roma 3-0 Napoli (right foot)
Totti won possession on the edge of the box and angled a clinical finish beyond the keeper’s despairing dive. Roma were crowned ‘winter champions’ at the midway point of the season.
54) 4/14/2001: Roma 2-2 Perugia (right foot)
Another right-footer into the bottom corner, impossible to reach, but this time from further out. Totti gave Roma the lead before the downpour arrived causing problems for the fans. Roma remained top though.
55) 6/10/2001: Napoli 2-2 Roma (right foot)
The day that dreams were broken. And fear set in. Totti got pulses racing in the torrid Naples heat when he put Roma in front seven minutes into the second half. Cafu lofted a ball into the box, the captain chested down and took a swing at it: unstoppable for Mancini. Had it ended then, Roma would have been crowned champions with a game to spare. But Pecchia’s 84th-minute free kick meant a week of living in fear for Giallorossi fans.
56) 6/17/2001: Roma 3-1 Parma (right foot)
His celebration remains the quintessential image of the modern Roma era. An explosion of joy as he leapt over the advertising hoarding and ran across to the Curva. That right-footed finish from Candela’s pass contained the anger built up after the draw at Napoli had put the title dream on the line. His eight-year Roma career was in that right foot. Totti the fan was in that right foot. “It’s for you,” he told the crowd. Yes, it was ours. The Scudetto. We were the champions of Italy.
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2001/02, 2002/03 AND 2003/04 SEASONS
2001/02
Now sporting the Scudetto on his jersey, Francesco was running on all cylinders. However, he was hampered by an injury towards the end of the season. Roma were in the hunt for a championship repeat only to see it go up in smoke in the final game of the season. 24 appearances and 8 goals. The consolation prize was the first Italian Super Cup in the club’s history.
2002/03
Roma failed to shine in the league, which came down to their own mistakes, as well as a few from the referees (mistakes that would later be acknowledged by the referee designators). Roma finished the season in 8th place, but Totti set a personal record in the Serie A with 14 goals in 24 appearances.
2003/04
The signings of Chivu and Mancini and the presence of heavyweights like Samuel, Emerson, Cassano and, above all, Totti took Roma back towards the top of the standings. Capello chose a fantasy pair in attack in Totti & Cassano. And with 20 goals in 31 appearances Francesco undoubtedly played a leading role.
IL CAPITANO’S GOALS
57) 9/23/2001: Roma 2-1 Fiorentina (penalty)
A penalty powerful was hit low and centrally. Taglialatela got a piece of it with his foot but it wasn’t enough to keep the ball from hitting the back of the net. His first goal with the Scudetto on his jersey, and the first victory of the season.
58) 10/21/2001: Roma 5-1 Lecce (header)
A cross was sent into the box. Totti leapt and twisted his body to head the ball inside the far post, opening the scoring in what would be a 5-goal bonanza for the Giallorossi.
59) 10/21/2001: Roma 5-1 Lecce (penalty)
Another goal for the Giallorossi against the team from Salento, this time from the penalty spot. A firm side-footed shot to the left of the goalkeeper.
60) 10/27/2001: Roma 2-0 Lazio (header)
The rush that a goal against Lazio brings had been missing since the 1998/99 season. This time Lima’s cross was so perfect that it could only have been deposited in the net. Totti met it with a header worthy of a true center forward; directed downward and between the legs of Angelo Peruzzi. It was a derby colored red and yellow.
61) 12/16/2001: Roma 1-0 AC Milan (right foot)
Totti collected a through ball down the right side of the box before hitting a right-footer. The shot was hardly unstoppable, but the slight deflection the ball took after hitting José Chamot caused it to bounce in front of the keeper, who failed to parry it well enough. The match winner.
62) 1/06/2002: Roma 1-0 Torino (right foot)
Vincent Candela touched the ball forward to Totti and the captain rolled it under the sole of his cleat to beat the keeper, stopped it with his left to burn the covering defender, and then slipped it into the net with the inside of his right. Pure inimitable class, and a goal that will be remembered as one of the best in this player’s fantastic career.
63) 3/10/2002: Lazio 1-5 Roma (right foot)
Vincent Montella had already scored four goals in this game, and an exhausted Lazio had already given up and resigned themselves to having suffered the most humiliating loss in the derby’s history. There was still time for a bit of magic though: once again, Totti’s ‘cucchiaio’. Spotting Peruzzi slightly off his line, the captain gently floated the ball over his head as the keeper could only watch in horror. Pure poetry to round out a fantastic evening.
64) 3/24/2002: Inter 3-1 Roma (right foot)
Montella’s flicked ball over the top of the Nerazzurri’s defense found Totti in the box. With his back to goal, Francesco swiveled on his left foot and connected with his right, wrong footing Francesco Toldo.
65) 9/22/2002: Roma 1-2 Modena (penalty)
It was the first game of the season at the Olimpico, and an unlucky one. Francesco put away the penalty with his usual clinical precision. But the lead proved to be a mirage.
66) 9/29/2002: Brescia 2-3 Roma (penalty)
Totti opened the scoring on a memorable day with a penalty placed to the keeper’s left. Roma were ahead.
67) 9/29/2002: Brescia 2-3 Roma (right foot, direct free kick)
The penalty converted a few minutes earlier wasn’t enough. It had to be followed by a perfect free kick from 25 yards out, curled over the wall and into the top left corner. The captain’s first free-kick goal since the 1998/99 season to give him a brace.
68) 9/29/2002: Brescia 2-3 Roma (right foot)
Totti picked up the ball wide on the left and cut diagonally towards the box. He then ripped a right-footer from 20 years out that was in the back of the net in the blink of an eye. His first hat-trick, seeing him come out on top in his duel against Roberto Baggio. A few years later he would win another one, far more prestigious.
69) 5/10/2002: Roma 4-1 Udinese (right foot)
Emerson’s perfect through ball released Totti and put him 1v1 against goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis, who was quick off his line. Francesco waited until the last possible second to provide the finishing touch, displaying his exquisite sense of the goal.
70) 5/10/2002: Roma 4-1 Udinese (right foot)
Batistuta floated a ball over the Bianconeri’s defense. First controlling the ball with his head, Totti twisted away from his markers before smashing it into the top corner off the bounce. De Sanctis was reduced to a mere spectator. There was a standing ovation for the Giallorossi’s number 10 as the Curva Sud (where they certainly remembered his brace against Udinese four years earlier) burst into a rousing chant of “There’s only one captain” – a chorus that has by now become a piece of history. The love story continues, stronger than ever before.
71) 3/11/2002: Roma 2-2 Perugia (left foot)
Candela took a free kick from the right of the box. Panucci flicked it across with a header where Totti pounced at the far post, putting the ball away with a left-footer.
72) 6/11/2002: Roma 2-1 Como (left foot)
It was the Week 1 match, which had been postponed due to problems concerning television rights. Totti, however, had no problem at all converting a chance created by Candela. The keeper was off his line in a flash, but he wasn’t quick enough to stop the captain from lifting it over him and into the net.
73) 12/1/2002: Roma 2-2 Juventus (left foot)
A pinpoint cross came from the left from Lima. The captain leapt to execute a textbook chest trap, nodded the ball forward and then hammered it with his left past Gigi Buffon with Ciro Ferrara closing in on him.
74) 12/15/2002: Rome 3-0 Reggina (right foot)
A clever assist from Cassano released Totti for his penetrating run into the box. The captain evaded his marker to hit the ball with his right, stinging the keeper’s hands on its way into the net. Pure power.
75) 1/19/2003: Atalanta 2-1 Roma (right foot)
Montella nearly reached the goal line before cutting the ball back to Totti. It was slightly behind the captain, yet he still managed to stab it in with his right. The lead would prove to be short lived, however.
76) 3/2/2003: Roma 3-1 Empoli (right foot)
The keeper managed to make a reaction save from Montella’s point-blank header, but he had the ill fortune of having Totti waiting at his doorstep. It was the equalizer, and Roma would go on to win the match.
77) 3/23/2003: Roma 3-0 Piacenza (right foot)
A through ball from Cassano found Totti, just on the edge of offside. He let it run and then waited until just the right moment to poke it through the keeper’s legs with the toe of his right foot. The class of the captain.
78) 4/13/2003: Roma 2-1 Parma (right foot)
Cassano’s cross found Totti alone at the penalty spot. The captain controlled the ball and hypnotized the keeper before slipping it past him. The goal of a striker; his future role.
79) 9/14/2003: Rome 5-0 Brescia (right foot)
Cassano crossed at the top of the box. Vincenzo Montella dummied, letting the ball run past him to Totti, who smacked the ball off his laces and into the bottom corner.
80) 9/14/2003: Rome 5-0 Brescia (right foot)
Mancini slid an inviting horizontal ball across the top of the box to Totti. Entering the box, he needed little more than a glance before executing his trademark chip that softly fell just below the crossbar. Every keeper’s nightmare.
81) 9/28/2003: Rome 3-0 Ancona (right foot)
It was a free kick that had been worked out on the training ground. On the right, Mancini cut the ball back diagonally inside the box. Totti ran to meet it, losing his marker and hitting a low shot to the opposite post. Ancona keeper Alessio Scarpi managed to get his hands to it, but it wasn’t enough.
82) 11/23/2003: Bologna 0-4 Roma (left foot)
Right foot or left foot – it makes no difference to the captain. Montella’s corner kick reached the edge of the box before Totti connected with a volleyed left-footer that rocketed into the net. It was the third time he had scored on a volley with his left. Not too shabby for his “weak” foot…
83) 11/30/2003 Roma 3-1 Lecce (right foot)
John Carew made a run down the left and crossed. Francesco punctually slid in at the top of the 6-yard box to beat the surprised keeper. A true nose for goal.
84) 12/7/2003 Chievo 0-3 Roma (right foot)
Roma’s Scudetto dream continued in chilly Verona, thanks to Totti. Mancini’s cross looked to cause a 3-way collision in the 6-yard box between the ball, the keeper and Francesco. Who would come out on top? Why the captain, of course, sticking it into the back of the net.
85) 12/14/2003: Roma 1-0 Modena (penalty)
A firmly struck penalty that skidded in to the left of the goalkeeper. A narrow victory secured from the spot.
86) 12/20/2003: Empoli 0-2 Roma (penalty)
A penalty hit waist-high to the right of the goalkeeper. But there’s still more to come from this match…
87) 12/20/2003: Empoli 0-2 Roma (right foot)
From just outside the top corner of the box, Totti sensed that it was time for another one of his specialties. Yes, another chipped goal. But this one came from a sharper angle. Another ‘cucchiaio’, another distraught goalkeeper.
88) 1/18/2003: Roma 3-1 Sampdoria (header)
Mancini delivered a long cross to the far post. Totti met the ball with a diving header to redirect it across the face of the goal and inside the opposite post. The crowd cheered, but there was more to come…
89) 1/18/2003: Roma 3-1 Sampdoria (right foot)
Totti gathered the ball in midfield before beginning his galloping run. After blowing past the defenders as if they were statues, he was now face to face with the keeper. Faking a shot to the near post, he proceeded to dink the ball to the far post. Nothing is impossible when you’re Francesco Totti.
90) 2/08/2004: Roma 4-0 Juventus (penalty)
That perfect game against Juventus, historic and unforgettable, and famous for the “Quiet! Take your four goals and go home” gesture. Buffon guessed correctly, but this penalty was simply hit too well, kissing the inside of the post on its way in. Time to party.
91) 2/22/2004: Rome 6-0 Siena (right foot)
Marco Delvecchio’s low cross through the box took an odd deflection and jumped high into the air. Unfortunately for the keeper, the ball happened to fall just right for Totti to meet it with a volley. The specialty of the house.
92) 2/29/2004: Parma 1-4 Roma (right foot, direct free kick)
His first goal of the season from a free kick. This well driven grass-cutter breeched the wall and before the keeper could see it coming it was already in the back of the net.
93) 3/07/2004: Roma 4-1 Inter (penalty)
From the spot, Francesco crisply sent the ball to Toldo’s left and inside the post. Roma were increasing their lead against Inter.
94) 4/4/2004: Lecce 0-3 Roma (penalty)
His third consecutive goal from the spot. A potent shot to the keeper’s left.
95) 4/18/2004: Modena 0-1 Roma (right foot, direct free kick)
This free kick from 25 yards out was struck with a vengeance and flew like an arrow into the top corner of the far post. Goalkeeper Adriano Zancopè watched it on one knee. And the Roma fans knelt down with him.
96) 4/21/2004: Lazio-Roma 1-1 (penalty)
It was the famous derby that had been postponed and Totti was standing before the penalty spot. Was the moment weighing on his mind? Not a chance. This right-footer zipped past Peruzzi, who had dived in the opposite direction. The captain filmed the Curva as part of his celebration. Genius.
97) 4/25/2004: Roma 3-0 Empoli (header)
Playing in the neutral ground of Palermo, Roma were looking to catch AC Milan at the top of the standings. Panucci’s diagonal cross from deep reached the center of the box, where Totti jumped to nod it inside the far post, Pruzzo style.
98) 4/25/2004: Roma 3-0 Empoli (right foot)
Delvecchio hit a vertical pass with the outside of his left foot. In full stride, and perfectly anticipating the bounce, Totti lifted the ball over the keeper who was stranded in no man’s land. A bolt from the blue.
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2004/05, 2005/06 AND 2006/07 SEASONS
2004/05
A season disrupted by Capello’s departure and Cesare Prandelli’s appointment, before the latter then left for personal reasons. Four coaches came and went over the course of a season, in the shape of Prandelli, Rudi Völler, Luigi Delneri and Bruno Conti. The team battled to stay up but Totti didn’t lose his eye for goal, hitting 12 in 29 matches.
2005/06
Luciano Spalletti came in and moved Totti from a free role into the lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 system. It was also the season Roma won a record 11 straight league games, and Totti sustained an injury to his left ankle (19 February), before making a rapid recovery in time for Germany 2006. He came home as a world champion. One heck of a campaign for Totti: 15 goals from 24 appearances.
2006/07
Spalletti’s Roma side were thrilling to watch both in Italy (second) and Europe (Champions League quarter-finalists) and Totti was the key man. His 26 goals in 35 matches earned him the title of top scorer in Serie A, winner of the European Golden Shoe and he also bagged his first Coppa Italia.
IL CAPITANO’S GOALS
99) 9/26/2004: Bologna 3-1 Roma (right foot)
Roma were on a bad run but Totti’s form never wavered. He hit a fierce right-footed drive across the keeper and into the far corner. Unstoppable, but not enough to avoid defeat.
100) 10/3/2004: Roma 3-3 Inter (right foot – direct free-kick)
It had to be something special for his 100th goal in Serie A. He hit a powerful, curling free-kick from thirty yards perfectly into the top corner. Francesco Toldo flew to his right but the ball got there first, and Totti made history again as he moved into three figures.
101) 10/16/2004: Livorno 0-2 Roma (right foot)
Vincenzo Montella’s shot was beaten away by the goalkeeper. Totti was in the middle as his team-mate volleyed it inside to him, and the captain beat a crowd of players on the line as he found the corner with the outside of his boot. Same old Roma, same old Totti.
102) 10/24/2004: Roma 1-1 Palermo (penalty)
Francesco leveled things with his favorite penalty. He sent the goalkeeper the wrong way with a spot-kick to the keeper’s right, halfway up.
103) 10/31/2004: Roma 5-1 Cagliari (penalty)
Totti made his contribution as Roma hit five past the men from Sardinia. His effort from twelve yards was crisp, along the deck and once again sent the keeper the wrong way.
104) 11/27/2004: Siena 0-4 Roma (left foot)
Antonio Cassano rolled the ball to the back post from the right, leaving Marco Fortin with no chance. Totti was left with the simple task of steering the ball into the empty net with his left foot.
105) 11/27/2004: Siena 0-4 Roma (right foot)
Francesco’s first goal in the same game was essentially too easy. So he decided to bring a bit of flair to the party. Cassano played a lovely reverse through-ball, Totti latched onto it and dinked it over the onrushing keeper. The ball nestled into the far corner.
106) 12/5/2004: Roma 1-1 Sampdoria (penalty)
A penalty equalizer. He hit it with his laces low to the keeper’s right. A risky strike for a right-footer: no problem for Totti.
107) 12/19/2004: Roma 5-1 Parma (left foot)
This was the day he made history, becoming Roma’s all-time top scorer in Serie A. After a bit of pinball in the box, Totti took control and rolled his right foot over the ball twice. He looked up for a fraction of a second and sidefooted the ball with his left past the goalkeeper who couldn’t move. Off came his shirt to reveal a message “107 volte con te” (107 times with you). He moved past Pruzzo. Grazie Capitano
108) 12/19/2004: Roma 5-1 Parma (right foot)
Totti wasn’t simply content with moving past the goalscorer from the 80s. He wanted more. The ball was fizzed in from out wide to the edge of the box: Totti brought down the bouncing ball before unleashing a thumping half-volley into the far left corner. Number 108.
109) 1/30/2005: Roma 3-2 Messina (right foot)
The goal that halved the deficit in what would later be a dramatic comeback. Montella’s bad touch from a cross inadvertently became an assist for Totti who burst onto it at pace: he kept his knee over the ball nicely and steered it into the far corner.
110) 2/20/2005: Roma 3-0 Livorno (right foot)
Totti picked up the ball from a throw-in on the left, and slalomed between two defenders before driving positively towards the area. A drop of the left shoulder saw him create space for the shot, which he duly dispatched from the edge of the box. A magnificent solo effort.
111) 9/21/2005: Roma 4-1 Parma (right foot)
A right-footed strike from the left corner of the box which caught the defender and looped over the hapless goalkeeper. It was by no means a beautiful goal but it ended a drought that had stretched back to February in the previous campaign. He needed it.
112) 10/23/2005: Roma 1-1 Lazio (right foot)
It’s always nice to score against Lazio. It’s a shame this match finished level. The captain exchanged passes with Taddei before clipping it home with the outside of his boot as the ball ran towards the by-line: Marco Ballotta got his hand to it but couldn’t keep out the powerful effort. Wild celebrations followed the equalizer.
113) 10/26/2005: Inter 2-3 Roma (right foot)
Works of art are rightly seen all over the world. And this was the top story in football. Totti had the ball seemingly glued to his feet as he wandered past Veron and chipped it from the edge of the 18-yard line. Julio Cesar could only watch as the ball sailed over his head. The ‘cucchiaio’ seemed to get better every time. The San Siro applauded. Interestingly, as the captain went over to hug the bench, he got a kiss in celebration from the delighted Andreazzoli. A sign of things to come perhaps.
114) 10/26/2005: Inter 2-3 Roma (penalty)
A powerful spot-kick to the keeper’s left. It secured the win (it would be crucial come the end of the match) and brace for Totti in a perfect game.
115) 11/06/2005: Messina 0-2 Roma (right foot)
Another fierce drive with his right foot. The ball curled into the far corner, leaving the opposition keeper with no chance. Yet another long-range strike: to win the match for Roma and to celebrate the birth of his first child Christian, born that same night.
116) 11/19/2005: Roma 1-4 Juventus (penalty)
A goal from twelve yards – Roma’s only one of the night – on an off-day. He hit it high and hard to the keeper’s right.
117) 12/18/2005: Sampdoria 1-1 Roma (right foot)
It was by no means a wonder goal when compared to some of his others: he saw his first-time volley saved by the goalie before poking home from close-range after Simone Perrotta had crossed it back in. That was a historic evening though, as Spalletti played 4-2-3-1 for the first time. Totti was an unusual lone striker. It would later prove to be a magical system, thanks to the brilliance of the captain.
118) 12/21/2005: Roma 4-0 Chievo (penalty)
A penalty high to the keeper’s right. He celebrated with a baby doll in honor of his new-born son.
119) 12/21/2005: Roma 4-0 Chievo (left foot)
He ran forward with the ball at his feet before unleashing a left-footed shot into the far corner: the crisp drive signaled a double: yet another one.
120) 1/18/2006: Roma 3-1 Reggina (left foot)
The ageless Damiano Tommasi centered from the left, the goalie could only parry and there was Francesco, on hand to tap into the empty net.
121) 1/18/2006: Roma 3-1 Reggina (right foot)
As easy as his first goal in the match: Taddei this time rolled it square from the right and Totti steered it into the unguarded net with his right.
122) 1/29/2006: Roma 3-0 Livorno (right foot – indirect free-kick)
It might have taken a deflection off the wall but it was the captain’s first goal from an indirect free-kick in Serie A. From that moment on, that’s the way he’d score them.
123) 1/29/2006: Roma 3-0 Livorno (penalty)
He scored a penalty to bring up a double, firmly planting the ball to the keeper’s left.
124) 2/8/2006: Roma 4-3 Cagliari (penalty)
He lashed a penalty into the top corner to Antonio Chimenti’s right. That strike made it 3-3 in a topsy-turvy game played at a neutral venue in Rieti.
125) 2/8/2006: Roma 4-3 Cagliari (penalty)
Another penalty in the match against Cagliari, this time to make it 4-3. Chimenti guessed right as Totti went the same way as the previous spot-kick. He couldn’t keep it out though and Spalletti’s Roma were celebrating another win.
126) 10/22/2006: Roma 1-1 Chievo (right foot)
It was his first goal after his injury, and as a world champion. It was also the first of the many strikes which would see him win the Golden Shoe come the end of the season. He trapped the ball in front of the goalie after it had ricocheted around the box, and left the keeper on his backside before calmly steering it home: the captain secured a point for his team.
127) 10/25/2006: Roma 2-2 Ascoli (right – indirect free-kick)
Another thunderous set-piece after David Pizarro had nudged it square to Perrotta. Gianluca Pagliuca was unable to keep out the bullet from 25 yards and Roma – thanks to Totti – were back in the match.
128) 11/11/2006: AC Milan 0-2 Roma (right foot)
Taddei flicked the ball over the defense and Totti hit a volley with his right as the ball dropped over his shoulder: he might not have pured it – the ball seemed to catch his shin – but it was a good strike nonetheless. That gave Roma the lead.
129) 11/11/2006: AC Milan 0-2 Roma (header)
Mancini latched onto a delicious through ball from Alberto Aquilani and crossed it with his instep: Totti just had to run onto the ball, meeting it with his head and sealing his second brace at the San Siro. That settled it and handed Roma a memorable 3 points, who hadn’t beaten AC Milan at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in twenty years.
130) 11/19/2006: Roma 7-0 Catania (right foot)
Totti sealed a Giallorossi rout: Mancini helped a ball into the middle and the captain arrived right on cue to hammer a half volley into the back of the net.
131) 11/26/2006: Sampdoria 2-4 Roma (right foot)
De Rossi poked it through for Totti who ran clear down the right and into the area: he shot across goal perfectly into the far corner and gave Roma the lead. This was just a taster of what was to come.
132) 11/26/2006: Sampdoria 2-4 Roma (left foot)
Just when you thought you’d seen it all with Totti – his breath-taking chips and as many volleys as three players might manage between them in their careers – he turned a routine crossfield ball from Marco Cassetti into the goal of the season. Magical. Out of this world. There are no adjectives which do it justice. Just look where he struck the ball from: he was just inside the left side of the area, and the angle was tight. He let the ball drop onto to his left before hitting as pure a volley as you’re ever likely to see across goal and left the keeper clutching at thin air. The Marassi rose as one to applaud: very few people were fortunate enough to witness a goal like that live. It was also his first goal with his ‘wrong’ foot since his injury.
133) 12/2/2006: Roma 2-1 Atalanta (penalty)
His first penalty in this contest leveled things, as he struck it to the goalkeeper’s right.
134) 12/2/2006: Roma 2-1 Atalanta (penalty)
His second spot-kick sealed the win, as he placed the ball into the same spot halfway up.
135) 12/17/2006: Roma 4-0 Palermo (penalty)
He dispatched it low to the keeper’s right from 12 yards: no saving those.
136) 12/17/2006: Roma 4-0 Palermo (left foot)
Totti tried a dink from the edge of the box, taking a divot as he did so: the ball caught the defender’s head and wrong-footed the goalie before ending up in the back of the net.
137) 12/20/2006: Torino 1-2 Roma (right foot)
Mancini shot from distance and the ball caught Francesco on the back of his left calf. The deflection took it in to the back of the net. Sometimes you need a bit of luck.
138) 1/27/2007: Livorno 1-1 Roma (right foot)
Wilhelmsson crossed from the right and Totti was on hand to knock it home before the keeper could get to him. He lifted the ball in from two yards leaving the opposition goalie with no chance. Roma were level.
139) 2/11/2007: Roma 3-0 Parma (header)
Pizarro ran into the box and clipped a perfect cross onto the head of Totti: he just had to direct it goalwards.
140) 2/28/2007: Chievo 2-2 Roma (header)
The corner was delivered to the near post, Cassetti flicked it on and Totti stooped at the back post with a diving header and halved the deficit.
141) 2/28/2007: Chievo 2-2 Roma (left foot)
He took a long ball out of the sky with his right before helping it home with his left foot on the turn. The keeper couldn’t prevent the ball from rolling over the line.
3/11/2007: Roma 3-1 Udinese (penalty)
A calm side-footed finish from the spot, sending the goalie the wrong way.
143) 3/11/2007: Roma 3-1 Udinese (header)
Totti got up well to meet a free-kick, steering a header into the near corner for his second goal of the match.
144) 4/15/2007: Roma 4-0 Sampdoria (right foot)
Totti collected the ball 25 yards from goal and thumped it with his laces: he caught the shot beautifully with it dipping viciously. Another trademark strike from a long-range specialist.
145) 4/15/2007: Roma 4-0 Sampdoria (right foot)
Totti, sent one-on-one with the goalkeeper, calmly found the far corner with his right. Never in doubt.
146) 4/18/2007: Inter 1-3 Roma (right foot – direct free-kick)
Free-kick from 20 yards: the ball deflected off Figo and wrong-footed Julio Cesar. It left the Nerazzurri ruing the scoreline as they missed out on the Scudetto; Roma were already out of the title race.
147) 5/6/2007: Palermo 1-2 Roma (right foot – direct free-kick)
Another 35-yard peach: Totti caught the ball flush with the outside of his right foot and it flew over the wall and curled into the top right corner. This was a strike he’d already produced a few years before against AC Milan in the Coppa Italia.
148) 5/20/2007: Cagliari 3-2 Roma (penalty)
He sent the keeper the wrong way, rolling the ball into the right-hand corner.
149) 5/20/2007: Cagliari 3-2 Roma (right foot)
Mancini picked the ball up on the near side of the area before crossing: Totti swept the ball into the back of the net on the volley. Two more for the skipper.
150) 5/27/2007: Roma 4-3 Messina (right foot)
Totti ran into the area at pace and got off a right-footed effort. The ball curled into the far corner, across the keeper to his right and into the back of the net.
151) 5/27/2007: Roma 4-3 Messina (right foot)
Wilhelmsson crossed into the middle, Perrotta thought about hitting it before leaving it for Totti, level with the penalty spot. That was goal number 26 of the season and won him the European Golden Shoe. Hats off to him!
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2007/08, 2008/09 AND 2009/10 SEASONS
2007/08
Roma began the year by winning the Italian Super Cup and then came within a whisker of claiming the Scudetto. This was a fantastic team with Totti in scintillating form (14 goals in 25 appearances). A knee injury put him out of action from April onwards but he was at the Stadio Olimpico to raise the Giallorossi’s second successive Coppa Italia trophy.
2008/09
Not one of the best seasons but the dream was to reach the Champions League final being held at the Olimpico. Spalletti’s Roma believed they could do it and they gave everything in the last 16 tie against Arsenal, Totti playing half-injured, but it wasn’t enough. The dream ended in a penalty shootout. 24 Serie A games, 13 goals.
2009/10
Spalletti left the club two matches into the campaign and Claudio Ranieri took over. After a slow start, Roma started playing some great football and put together a magnificent run of results, going 24 games unbeaten. At one stage it even looked as if they could force themselves into the running for the title but they petered out towards the end. Totti played a starring role once again: 23 appearances and 14 goals.
IL CAPITANO’S GOALS
152) 9/2/2007: Roma 3-0 Siena (right foot)
The season began with the awarding of the Golden Boot and a run from Totti that carried him through half the field. He wrong-footed the defender and, just inside the box, switched the ball to his right foot to hit a bullet past the keeper.
153) 9/16/2007: Reggina 0-3 Roma (right foot)
A low pass from Cicinho into the box, a dummy from Aquilani, then a first-time finish from Totti into the bottom corner. Precision.
154) 9/23/2007: Roma 2-2 Juventus (right foot)
With his back to goal outside the box, Totti’s smooth first touch flicked the ball behind him as he rolled his man and broke clean through on goal. The captain then placed his right-footer beyond the reach of the Gigi Buffon and inside the far post. A goal created out of nothing.
155) 9/23/2007: Roma 2-2 Juventus (left foot)
After some build-up play by Mancini, Aquilani got off a shot that was blocked by Buffon. The ball then made it to the edge of the six-yard box before the captain pounced to put it away with a firm left-footer. The second goal of the game for this penalty-box predator.
156) 10/7/2007: Parma 0-3 Roma (right foot)
Mirko Vucinic did his part by winning the duel on the goal line and stealing the ball from the defender. But would someone finish the job once the Montenegrin sent it back into the middle of the box? Never fear when the captain is near: Francesco’s accurate right-footer buried it at the far post. 1-0.
157) 10/7/2007: Parma 0-3 Roma (left foot)
De Rossi slipped a forward pass through the defense and inside the box. Totti collected the ball and managed to find and opening at the far post, despite being closely marked the entire time.
158) 10/20/2007: Roma 4-4 Napoli (penalty)
It was the equalizer in what was to be a match with eight goals total. His classic spot kick: low, firm, and in the corner, just out of the keeper’s reach.
159) 12/22/2007: Roma 2-0 Sampdoria (penalty)
Francesco began with a strong run-up before his right foot scooped under the ball, floating it straight down the middle over a frustrated goalkeeper. The return of the chipped penalty.
160) 12/22/2007: Roma 2-0 Sampdoria (right foot)
Marco Cassetti made his way to the right side of the six-yard box before sliding a low cross to the opposite side. An easy tap-in for the captain.
161) 1/13/2008: Atalanta 1-2 Roma (right foot, indirect free kick)
The ball was teed up for Totti to take aim at the bottom left corner. His low-flying missile pierced the wall and finished just beyond the grasp of the keeper. Power and precision.
162) 2/27/2008: Inter 1-1 Roma (left foot)
A cross from the left from Max Tonetto. The ball took a bounce in the center of the box before Totti met it with a stinging half-volley that Julio Cesar could only watch as it flew inside the post. Timed to perfection.
163) 3/1/2008: Roma 4-0 Parma (right foot)
Esposito’s back-heel from inside the box was too tempting to ignore. And Totti’s right-footer to the far post was too hot to stop for the keeper.
164) 3/09/2008: Napoli 0-2 Roma (penalty)
After having created the opening goal for Simone Perrotta, it was Francesco’s turn to get on the score sheet, this time from the spot. The keeper went one way, bamboozled, as the ball went the other.
165) 3/29/2008: Cagliari 1-1 Roma (right foot, direct free kick)
A right-footer from nearly 35 yards out, struck to the side of the wall and in off the post.
166) 10/26/2008: Udinese 3-1 Roma (penalty)
A consolation goal as Totti sent the keeper the wrong way with a cool penalty into the right corner.
167) 11/8/2008: Bologna 1-1 Roma (right foot)
The ball was clipped over to the back post where Totti trapped it on his thigh before crashing a right-footed drive in from a tight angle. The keeper got a hand to it but couldn’t prevent it from hitting the back of the net and Roma took the lead.
168) 11/23/2008: Lecce 0-3 Roma (right foot)
Matteo Brighi played a delicious slide-rule pass which Totti collected on the edge of the box: the goalie came out to meet him but the captain just casually dinked it past him with the outside of his right boot. Not quite his trademark ‘cucchiaio’, but devastating nonetheless.
169) 11/30/2008: Roma 1-0 Fiorentina (right foot)
Taddei squared it in to Totti who, arriving at full tilt, swept the ball in first-time from just inside the penalty area. The goalkeeper made contact but ultimately had no chance.
170) 12/14/2008: Roma 4-2 Cagliari (left foot)
When the captain picks up the ball on the edge of the box, you should always beware of a long-range effort. And Totti’s left foot is as effective as his right. He struck this one with the outside of his foot and it swerved away from the keeper and into the corner.
171) 1/28/2009: Roma 2-1 Palermo (right foot)
Cicinho’s cross was partially cleared by the visiting defense. Totti showed perfect technique to keep his half-volley down and benefited from a deflection off a defender which left the goalie with no chance. Fortuitous yes, but mighty effective.
172) 4/5/2009 Roma 2-1 Bologna (penalty)
A firm, right-footed penalty. The keeper dived the right way but the ball found the corner. 1-0 Roma.
173) 4/5/2009 Roma 2-1 Bologna (penalty)
A perfect, unstoppable penalty. He thumped it high into the net to the keeper’s left. Get that even a touch wrong and the ball goes flying into the stands. Not Totti though. 2-0 Roma.
174) 4/19/2009: Roma 3-2 Lecce (right foot)
The goalie just about kept out a Julio Baptista free-kick and Totti was quickest to react to the rebound, half-volleying it home. Roma took the lead.
175) 4/19/2009: Roma 3-2 Lecce (penalty)
A penalty which sealed the win, as Totti sent the keeper the wrong way with a lovely spot-kick into the bottom right corner.
176) 5/10/2009: Cagliari 2-2 Roma (left foot)
Vucinic couldn’t quite get to the ball first, and it broke kindly to Totti who dummied a shot before rounding the keeper and calmly steering it home with his left.
177) 5/24/2009: AC Milan 2-3 Roma (right foot – indirect free-kick)
Pizarro touched it square to the captain: he hammered the ball with his right, past the wall and into the bottom corner to Christian Abbiati’s left. A perfect strike.
178) 5/31/2009: Roma 3-2 Torino (penalty)
A Totti special from the spot: low and into the corner to the goalkeeper’s right. That put Roma 3-1 up and ended the season with a win.
179) 8/23/2009: Genoa 3-2 Roma (right foot)
Guberti’s effort was off-target but Totti, with his back to goal, diverted the ball towards the back post. The ball found the back of the net and Genoa were in shock, but sadly the match ended in defeat for the Giallorossi.
180) 9/20/2009: Roma 3-1 Fiorentina (penalty)
The skipper opened the scoring from 12 yards. Once again it was a penalty into the left corner. The keeper guessed correctly but could do nothing to stop it.
181) 9/20/2009: Roma 3-1 Fiorentina (right foot)
Juan tried to head a corner goalwards but the Viola defense was able to half clear: it fell to the wrong man though, as far as the visitors were concerned, and Totti thumped the ball through the crowd into the goal.
182) 9/23/2009: Palermo 3-3 Roma (penalty)
The captain equalized in torrential rain in Palermo: his spot-kick was dispatched so decisively that the goalie was left rooted to the spot.
183) 10/4/2009: Roma 2-1 Napoli (right foot)
Perrotta lunged to try and finish Vucinic’s cross from the left. Totti made no mistake however, leveling the score from two yards out.
184) 10/4/2009: Roma 2-1 Napoli (right foot)
Roma weren’t able to take the lead so he decided to do it all himself. Totti unleashed a stinging shot from 20 yards right into the corner. That shot brought three points for the Giallorossi but a meniscus injury for the captain.
185) 11/22/2009: Roma 3-1 Bari (penalty)
Six weeks on from his injury, Totti stepped up and wrongfooted the goalkeeper to put the Giallorossi in front. But he wasn’t done there…
186) 11/22/2009: Roma 3-1 Bari (right foot – indirect free-kick)
Pizarro nudged it to Totti, who found a gap in the wall and pummeled an effort into the corner, beating Jean François Gillet. Surely that was enough for the skipper…
187) 11/22/2009: Roma 3-1 (left foot)
And yet it wasn’t. Totti began the move with a backheel before the ball broke to him from a tight angle on the right-hand side of the box. Without even thinking, the captain bent the ball into the far corner with his left boot. That brought up the second hat-trick of his career, after his first triple had come against Brescia in 2002/03. We thought we’d seen it all, and yet…
188) 1/23/2010: Juventus 1-2 Roma (penalty)
A crucial equalizer: another confident strike into the corner to the keeper’s right. That soon quietened down the Juve fans. Roma would come back to win the match. A group of players was forming that would strike fear into any opponents.
189) 4/25/2010: Roma 1-2 Sampdoria (left foot)
Roma sat top of the table and were dreaming of the title. It looked like the fairytale was set to continue when Totti opened the scoring. Vucinic cut it back from the by-line and Totti met the ball on the run, guiding it with his left into the far corner. A perfect goal. It would later prove to be an unfortunate night. But that’s another story altogether.
190) 5/1/2010: Parma 1-2 (right foot)
There was still hope of winning the league on May 1 in Parma. There was also another opportunity to see a trademark Totti goal: he cushioned a long ball over the top expertly with his chest before floating it over the opposition keeper. Pure class.
191) 5/9/2010: Roma 2-1 Cagliari (right foot)
It was a case of keeping the faith. Totti received the ball with his back to goal on the right side of the area, swiveled sharply and found the far corner. Equalizer.
192) 5/9/2010: Roma 2-1 Cagliari (penalty)
This sent the title race with Inter into the final day of the season. Totti sealed the points with a sidefooted penalty away to the goalkeeper’s left. But Chievo away would spell heartache for Roma. It’s hard to be down for too long with Totti around. Besides, Roma supporters never lose.
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2010/11, 2011/12 AND 2012/13 SEASONS
2010/11
A tough season with up and down results which eventually forced Claudio Ranieri into resigning. Montella replaced him and tried to secure Champions League football but it was too late. The only pleasure came from the derby (five straight wins including the ones from the previous year) and Totti, who hit 15 goals in 32 games.
2011/12
Besides a new coach (Luis Enrique), the club also saw new ownership: James Pallotta’s American consortium took control of the side from the capital. It marked the beginning of a new era for Totti and Co. The skipper struck eight times in 27 matches.
2012/13
Yet another record-breaking season for Totti: his effort against Parma (his 11th goal against the side from Emilia) saw him move past Nordahl and into second place on the all-time leading scorers charts in the Italian top flight. And the best (Piola) is still to come.
IL CAPITANO’S GOALS
193) 11/13/2010: Juventus 1-1 Roma (penalty)
He steered a penalty into the bottom right corner, sending the keeper the wrong way. Roma were level.
194) 11/28/2010: Palermo 3-1 Roma (right foot)
Totti fired the ball in from out wide, across the goalie who got a hand to it, but could do nothing. Nor could Roma however, and the trip to Palermo ended in defeat.
195) 1/22/2011: Roma 3-0 Cagliari (penalty)
High and hard, down the middle. Unstoppable.
196) 2/20/2011: Genoa 4-3 Roma (left foot)
Totti was found by Borriello’s cross. He controlled the ball and hit it into the near corner with his left. The goal couldn’t prevent defeat though, and Ranieri promptly resigned.
197) 2/27/20011: Roma 2-2 Parma (penalty)
A low bullet across the keeper to open the scoring. The game would later end in a draw.
198) 3/13/2011: Roma 2-0 Lazio (right foot, indirect free kick)
He hadn’t scored in the derby since 2005. The Lazio fans had taunted him in the week building up to the match, claiming he was finished. These things can often come back to haunt you though. And wouldn’t you know it. The captain bludgeoned a 25-yard free kick which dipped in front of Muslera and the Lazio goalkeeper couldn’t keep it out. Another memorable goal for Totti.
199) 3/13/2011: Roma 2-0 Lazio (penalty)
And suddenly those derby goals were like London buses: having waited 6 years for one, two then came along at once. That was the day the skipper scored his first double in the derby. Totti lashed his spot kick high into the roof of the net. The King of Rome was not dead… far from it.
200) 3/20/2011: Fiorentina 2-2 Roma (penalty)
This was the day Totti brought up number 200: in Florence of all places, somewhere he’d never before found the net. His driven penalty made it 1-1. Roma celebrated, so did the captain, but he wasn’t done just yet.
201) 3/20/2011: Fiorentina 2-2 Roma (right foot)
Totti brought the ball down at the back post before letting it drop and driving it into the far corner with the outside of his boot.
202) 4/9/2011: Udinese 1-2 Roma (penalty)
Goal number 202 was a classic dinked penalty: clipped with wonderful disguise, this impudent effort just floated down the middle, much to the keeper’s bemusement.
203) 4/9/2011: Udinese 1-2 Roma (right foot)
Just when it looked like Antonio Di Natale’s strike two minutes from time had spoiled the party, up popped Francesco with the winning goal. Riise cut the ball back from the by-line, Totti nipped in towards the near stick and poked it home. The bench was jumping for joy.
204) 4/16/2011: Roma 2-3 Palermo (penalty)
Roma took the lead with another clinical Totti penalty. Sadly it wouldn’t last…
205) 5/1/2011: Bari 2-3 Roma (right foot, direct free kick)
Totti shaped the ball around the wall with the outside of his right foot. It was a marvelous effort, technically beautiful. But the strike itself was only half the story. This was the day Francesco equaled Roberto Baggio on 205 goals in Serie A and made history. Period.
206) 5/1/2011: Bari 2-3 Roma (penalty)
Despite the keeper guessing correctly, he couldn’t deny the skipper from the spot. Totti moved past Baggio and set his sights on another legend…
207) 5/22/2011: Roma 3-1 Sampdoria (right foot)
Totti teased the opposition defense, gently running his studs over the ball before shifting it to one side and getting a shot away. His right-footed strike from the right edge of the area found the opposite corner. That was the last match of the campaign, with Vincenzo Montella in charge for the second half of the season. It was the end of the Sensi era, with the new American owners coming in. The Totti era, however, continued…
208) 1/8/2012: Roma 2-0 Chievo (penalty)
It was the first match of the new year. Totti was back, having spent the first part of the campaign providing assists, yet struggling on a goal drought. He was able to end his barren run – and let out his frustration – with a thumping penalty to the goalkeeper’s left. He revealed an undershirt bearing the message, “scusate il ritardo” (sorry to keep you waiting). That meant thank you number 208.
209) 1/8/2012: Roma 2-0 Chievo (penalty)
Same side, same result. That brought up a brace and made Francesco feel a whole lot better.
210) 1/21/2012: Roma 5-1 Cesena (right foot)
Lamela showed terrific imagination to find Totti with a backheel and the captain thumped the ball first-time into the near corner. Antonioli could only watch as the ball flew past him.
211) 1/21/2012: Roma 5-1 Cesena (right foot)
Lamela was once again the provider, this time lobbing the ball over the defense. Totti watched the ball all the way onto his right foot as he dispatched a volley through the goalie’s legs from the edge of the six yard line. Yet another brace and yet another majestic volley.
212) 4/11/2012: Roma 3-1 Udinese (left foot)
Totti just had to gamble as he saw Osvaldo burst through the middle. The forward looked up and rolled it square for his skipper who buried it with his left from close range. That goal gave Roma the lead in what was probably the most emotional night of Luis Enrique’s spell in charge.
213) 4/25/2012: Roma 1-2 Fiorentina (left foot)
Gago’s shot might just have been goalbound but the captain instinctively stuck out a leg and diverted it in to equalize for the Giallorossi. The match however would still end in defeat.
214) 5/5/2012: Roma 2-2 Catania (left foot)
Totti shifted the ball with his left then used the defender as a screen bending it home with his left foot, with the keeper unsighted. Class, pure class.
215) 5/5/2012: Roma 2-2 Catania (right foot)
Marquinho centred from the left and Totti guided the ball home first time with his right on the run. The keeper could do nothing. Nor could Roma that season, and Luis Enrique’s time at the club was over.
216) 9/26/2012: Roma 1-1 Sampdoria (right foot)
A bit scrappy in the build-up, with Florenzi’s effort inadvertantly becoming a pass for Totti, who found the target with a first-time shot. That was the skipper’s first strike in Zeman’s second period in charge.
217) 10/21/2012: Genoa 2-4 Roma (right foot)
Totti halved the deficit in what would later turn out to be a memorable comeback. Piris powered a header over the defense, Totti cushioned it with his right foot and then smashed it past the goalie to his left.
218) 10/31/2012: Parma 3-2 Roma (left foot)
As the rain came hammering down at the Stadio Tardini, Totti’s penalty was saved by Antonio Mirante to his right. The captain was onto the rebound in a flash though and rolled it into the opposite corner with his left. That made it 3-2, but the Giallorossi couldn’t find an equalizer.
219) 11/4/2012: Roma 4-1 Palermo (header)
Piris crossed it, Osvaldo failed to connect, and Totti’s header cannoned back off the bar. Another handy rebound however left Francesco with the simple task of nodding it home. Roma took the lead.
220) 12/8/2012: Roma 4-2 Fiorentina (right foot)
The Giallorossi broke at pace: Totti combined with Destro, collecting the ball level with the penalty spot. His first touch sent the ball in the air and he wasted no time in scoring on the volley. That made it 2-1 to the Giallorossi.
221) 12/8/2012: Roma 4-2 Fiorentina (right foot)
Totti decided to try his luck from thirty yards. It looked like a regulation claim for Emiliano Viviano but the ball moved in the air and went through his hands. Two more for Totti.
222) 1/20/2013: Roma 1-1 Inter (penalty)
No chance for Samir Handanovic as Francesco hammered the ball high into the net to give Roma the lead.
223) 2/1/2013: Roma 2-4 Cagliari (right foot, indirect free kick)
This was the night that Zeman lost his job, but Totti was still firing. The captain kept Roma hopes alive, equalizing with a free kick: Florenzi’s lay-off was struck past the wall by Francesco, Michael Agazzi got a hand to it, but couldn’t prevent it from crossing the line.
224) 2/16/2013: Roma 1-0 Juventus (right foot)
This was the night the Giallorossi secured their first victory under Aurelio Andreazzoli. Totti’s thunderbolt signaled a new chapter. The anger at a potentially fruitless season was channeled in his vicious effort. Buffon barely even saw it.
225) 3/3/2013: Roma 3-1 Genoa (penalty)
To draw level with Gunnar Nordahl on 225 goals. To get the party started at the Stadio Olimpico. To bathe in the adulation of his home crowd. He just needed a penalty to do all that. To hear the words, “thank you”.
226) 3/17/2013: Roma 2-0 Parma (right foot, direct free kick)
One more goal to move past Nordahl and into second place on his own in the all-time Serie A top scorers charts. And he managed it with a low free kick which caught out Mirante. May the party commence! Where will he stop?
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If thats not enough and you still want more, check out this video, 200 Gol di Francesco Totti from Sky Sport Italia, featuring his first 200 goals.
[youtube width=”600″ height=”365″ video_id=”m7fezaIPiU4″]
