Roma talisman Francesco Totti is sent home before Palermo clash
Sunday 21 February 2016 19:25, UK
Roma talisman Francesco Totti was sent home by coach Luciano Spalletti hours before he was due to start the Serie A match against Palermo.
Spalletti had stated on Friday that he may start Totti, who has recently returned to the squad after a lengthy injury lay-off, alongside striker Edin Dzeko for the match at the Stadio Olimpico.
But Spalletti has performed a dramatic about turn, omitting Totti from his squad a day after the 39-year-old player hit out at the coach in a television interview.
According to reports in the Italian sports press, Totti was called in by Spalletti after a team breakfast and told he had been omitted from the matchday squad.
An interview with RAI in which Totti appeared to describe strained relations with Spalletti was aired on Saturday.
"I'm still a footballer and I want to play. My injury is over, I'm doing fine and if I'm not playing it's the coach's decision," Totti said.
"I'm not here to demand to play, I've never done that and I'm not going to start now. My contract ends in June and then I'll take stock of the situation, because I can't stay like this."
Totti, who is in his 23rd season with the club, said the only conversation he had with Spalletti was saying "hello and goodbye" and hit out at the coach for talking about him to the media.
"I respect him as a person and as a coach, but I would have preferred he told me to my face the things that I've read in the newspapers," Totti said.
