Totti will continue at Roma - Baldissoni

An announcement on Francesco Totti’s Roma future seems imminent after general director Mauro Baldissoni said the club icon would continue to be a part of their plans “for a long time”.

Speaking ahead of a friendly against Al Ahly, Baldissoni dropped the biggest hint yet that 39-year-old Totti would remain in the Italian capital.

“Francesco is untouchable. He’s a legend and when you’re a legend, you go down in folklore, where the divide between reality and imagination is lost,” Baldissoni told Roma TV.

“Totti goes beyond all that, he’s a universally recognised symbol not just of Roma but of football as a whole.”

Baldissoni also discussed Mohamed Salah’s standing among Arab and Egyptian football fans compared to Totti’s status with Roma supporters.

“Let’s say that Salah has a long way to go before he reaches that level but it’s fantastic to have them together in the same place and see the reaction of the fans,” he added.

“In a way they represent the past and future of Roma, though I’ll take this opportunity to say that the past is not yet the past and never will be, given that Francesco will continue playing for Roma and, as you know, will continue to be a part of Roma and of our family for a long time to come in the future.”

Totti made his Roma debut at the age of 16 and has gone on to score almost 300 goals in over 700 appearances for the club.