Spalletti calls truce with Totti

Roma coach Luciano Spalletti insisted on Tuesday that he and iconic playmaker Francesco Totti had made the peace after a slanging match following the weekend 3-3 draw with Atalanta.

“Everything's OK with Totti, we saw each other yesterday and cleared things up,” Spalletti said in today’s press conference.

The coach was sent off near the end of the game, during which he had been particularly on edge. He then began shouting at his players in the tunnel near the dressing room after the two dropped points, although it was Totti's 85th-minute equaliser that prevented defeat. Spalletti reportedly asked the players, “Aren't you tired of these shitty results? It's been 10 years since you won anything”.

The 39-year-old Totti took exception and a slanging match ensued, with most pundits also pointing out the playmaker wants a one-year extension to his deal. “Totti is part of Roma history,” insisted Spalletti. “I'm looking for four or five new Tottis to build a better team now. I need new Tottis because the old one can't quite cut it for a whole match”.

Totti's wish for an extra year at Roma has fallen on deaf ears, with the club's American president, James Pallotta, reportedly keen to see him join the board or take up an ambassador's role. For the player heralded as 'Il Re di Roma' (The King of Rome) and who is still adored by the fans, an unceremonious departure awaits after 23 seasons with the club.