“I agree with Pele, especially as he knows more about football than me,” smiled the Roma boss.
“Totti is the best around right now. To give him the ball is like putting it in the bank and knowing you’ll get a great interest rate on it. There’s a grain of truth in our jokes when I tell him he’s the real Coach of this team.”
The Italian international also responded to O Rey’s assertion, but added a slight jibe at those who didn’t give him a single vote in the running for the European Player of the Year award.
“Pele’s compliments are worth more to me than the Ballon d’Or,” said Totti. “I thank him for his kind words that gave me immense pleasure. To hear these things come from a piece of football history gives them added value for me.”
Totti fever is increasing as Italy get closer to the 2006 World Cup and Roma’s stunning recent form – including five consecutive Serie A wins and a shock 3-2 victory at Juventus in the Coppa Italia – has put their captain in the spotlight.
“The best thing about this season so far is the visible affection between all the players after a goal,” added the Coach. “I even made up a DVD of the celebrations, as it proves to me how united the squad is.”
The Giallorossi are setting their sights on the Champions League spots and have the chance to close in on the top positions when they welcome fifth-placed Livorno to the Stadio Olimpico.
“If they are ahead of us in the table, then it means they demand our respect,” added Spalletti. “Livorno have the third strongest defence in Serie A, have won as many away games as we have and can boast one of the best strikers in Cristiano Lucarelli.”
Totti remains a slight doubt for this clash, but even if his ankle problem continues to persist, the team has done well enough without him by putting a total of seven goals past Juventus and Udinese.
“I am confident he’ll recover in time. Totti is always important for us, but a team must be able to work as a whole and not rely on one individual. He brings that little something extra, but the squad has to maintain its identity and keep its options open.”
