Giuseppe Giannini, Roma legend and former captain, gave an extended interview to Gazzetta dello Sport's SportWeek supplement in which he assessed the club's greatest number 10s and discussed what it means to represent the Giallorossi. Giannini placed Francesco Totti at the summit by numbers, followed by Agostino Di Bartolomei and De Sisti, before ranking himself fourth based on his Romanità and Paulo Dybala fifth—"even though he wears 21 on his back", Giannini said.
On Dybala specifically, Giannini praised the Argentine forward's ability to escape tight situations with the ball at his feet. "The fact that he plays with great simplicity. He always manages to get out of every game situation, even the most complicated one. Even when surrounded by two or three opponents he is capable of handling it somehow and coming out of it with the ball. He is a player who has fantasy, flashes of genius. And you can see that when he plays, he enjoys himself. When a champion manages to play while enjoying himself, he also pulls the fans along, who identify with him," Giannini said. "I would steal his left foot, but I would give him my right one."
Giannini recounted his early relationship with Totti, whom he housed during a team trip when no single room was available. "It was my father who brought Totti from Lodigiani to Roma, so I had no problem letting him sleep with me. I didn't make my role as captain weigh on him, but he watched me without speaking. He was shy. We played cards and went to sleep. He told me later that night he didn't close an eye, but I couldn't swear to it because I slept peacefully," Giannini explained. He also named Mario Kempes, the Argentine forward, as his childhood idol, drawn to his technical strength and long hair, which Giannini imitated. After Kempes, Di Bartolomei became his model.
Giannini identified 20 March 1994 at Foggia as the moment he was most proud to wear Giallorosso colours. Roma trailed to Zeman's Foggia but Giannini scored the leveller to make it 1–1, a result that sparked four consecutive victories and brought the club close to UEFA Cup qualification. The most emotionally difficult moment in his captaincy came when, following the death of president Dino Viola, Giannini was tasked with placing a bouquet of flowers on the president's chair at the Olimpico before the first home match without him.
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Giuseppe Giannini, Roma's legendary captain, has ranked the club's greatest number 10s in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport's SportWeek supplement. Placing Francesco Totti at the summit "for numbers," Giannini followed with Agostino Di Bartolomei and De Sisti in second and third, before ranking himself fourth based on his Romanità and Paulo Dybala fifth—"even though he wears 21 on his back," as GialloRossi.net and Forza Roma both note. All three outlets quote Giannini's effusive praise for Dybala's technical qualities: his simplicity of play, his ability to escape pressure even when surrounded by multiple opponents, and his capacity to enjoy himself on the pitch in a way that carries fans along with him. "I would steal his left foot, but I would give him my right one," Giannini said.
Giannini also reflected on what it means to represent Roma's colours and shared memories of Totti's early career. He recalled sharing a hotel room with the young Totti during an away trip when no single rooms were available, noting that his father had brought Totti to Roma from Lodigiani. Though Giannini himself slept peacefully, Totti later told him he hadn't closed an eye that night. Giannini identified Mario Kempes, the Argentine forward, as his childhood idol, drawn to his technical strength and distinctive long hair—which Giannini imitated—before Di Bartolomei became his later model. Among his proudest moments wearing giallorosso was 20 March 1994 at Foggia, when Roma came from behind to draw 1–1 under his leadership, sparking four consecutive victories and a late push for UEFA Cup qualification.
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Testo Originale / Source Text
“Giuseppe Giannini, storico capitano e leggenda della Roma, ha rilasciato una lunga intervista alla Gazzetta dello Sport nell’inserto SportWeek. Ecco uno stralcio delle parole del Principe.
Che cosa vuol dire essere romanista e simbolo della Roma in una città come Roma?“In poche parole è difficile…”
Read the full article in Italian at Roma News.
