++ [ originally posted by Alex
] ++
Totti's Big Gazzetta Interview
In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Francesco Totti has expressed his frustration at the back injury which could rule him out of Italy's Euro 2004 qualifier with Wales on Semtember 6.
"I'm furious! This injury is not what I needed. I'm risking to miss the National team call-up, now that we face the crucial Wales and Serbia matches," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "However, the important thing is that nothing is broken. They say I need to be sidelined for two weeks, but I hope to return sooner, so that I can at least respond to half of Trapattoni's call."
He then went on to talk about Roma's hopes for the season.
"We are very competitive. If a striker that possesses quality and quantity arrives, even better."
"We are Scudetto contenders. My prediction? Roma, then Inter, Juventus, Milan."
And on last season: "It was everyone's fault. The referees conditioned us a lot at the start of the campaign. Starting at virtually -15 from Juve, Milan, and Inter is too much. Then we began making mistakes as well, we lacked unity."
Next, Totti went on to talk about his team-mate Antonio Cassano.
"He needs to be a regular starter. He's maturing, growing: a player like him at his age doesn't exist in the world.
"When Cassano arrived in Rome I treated him as a younger brother. Then someone got inbetween and problems began to arise. Juvenile errors, he didn't understand what he was going towards. Then he understood and returned to be a member of the family. In my family, which he is very close to.
Now he goes more out to dinner with my father than I do!."
Totti then went on to speak about 'bandiere' players (one team players).
"Cragnotti said 'bandiere in the game of football don't exist anymore' when he sold Nesta to Milan," he said. "I disagree with this. I call myself a bandiera. I guess Cragnotti was talking about Lazio. Nesta? He likes Milan, but I think he misses Rome and would be very happy to return. At least this is what I think."
Totti ended the interview by making some tongue-in-cheek one line suggestions to certain people for the season to come.
To Capello: 'Be closer to us'
To Sensi: 'To speak less.'
To Trapattoni: 'To whistle less.'
To Cassano: 'To make me win some games with his assists.'
soccerage
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I guess the father realized the younger brother makes for more intelligent conversation