Fabrizio Lucchesi, former general director of Roma's 2000–01 Serie A champions, has spoken about Francesco Totti's relationship with the club and drawn comparisons between current head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and Fabio Capello's management style.
Lucchesi revealed he has recently encountered Totti at a social event and subsequently at lunch. "I had the privilege of working with him, an extraordinary champion and a man of absolute values, a wonderful person who suffers terribly from this separation from the club, which came certainly by his own choice but he has an extraordinary passion for Roma, he has giallorosso blood not red," Lucchesi said. He believes Totti would bring exceptional value to Roma in an official capacity and suggested finding him a role that allows him to apply his vast experience and vision rather than a purely representational one. "Seeing a Roma without Totti is inconceivable," Lucchesi stated.
On Gasperini and Capello, Lucchesi identified similarities in their daily management approach. Both coaches operate their Roma sides with total autonomy, he explained. "Gasperini perhaps is more applied on the pitch, Capello delegated more to his collaborators, but in daily management Fabio controlled everything—he even changed the doormats at Trigoria. They both have this need for everything to revolve around them." Lucchesi praised Gasperini's demands on the squad and noted the group responds well, but expressed concern about the limited size of the playing squad, describing it as his greatest worry. He credited Gasperini's football for Roma's current league position.
Lucchesi also reflected on a regretted transfer window from the summer following Roma's 2000–01 title. He revealed that Roma had agreed deals with Parma for Gianluigi Buffon and Fabio Cannavaro, with negotiations concluded in Milan involving Parma executives. However, Juventus intervened following dealings between the Tanzi and Agnelli families, forcing Parma to renege on the agreement. "The regret I still have is that with these signings we would have had the strongest squad in the championship for 4–5 years," Lucchesi said.
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Fabrizio Lucchesi, former Roma general director during the club's 2000–01 Serie A title-winning season, has called for the Friedkin Group to create a meaningful role for Francesco Totti within the organisation. Speaking to Italian media, Lucchesi stressed that Totti suffers deeply from his separation from the club despite choosing to leave, and that his giallorosso blood and extraordinary passion make him invaluable. Lucchesi argued that deploying Totti in a purely representational capacity would be reductive, and that instead Roma should harness his vast experience and vision. "To see a Roma without Totti is inconceivable," he said, adding that as a manager he would welcome having someone of Totti's calibre in his company.
Lucchesi drew parallels between head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and Fabio Capello's management philosophies, identifying both as coaches who operate with total autonomy over their squads. While Gasperini applies himself more directly on the pitch and Capello delegated more to collaborators, both demand that everything revolves around them—Lucchesi noted that Capello even controlled details as minor as changing the doormats at Trigoria. Lucchesi praised Gasperini's demands on the squad and the group's response, though he expressed his greatest concern as the limited size of the playing squad.
Lucchesi also revealed a long-standing regret from summer 2001. Roma had agreed deals with Parma for both Gianluigi Buffon and Fabio Cannavaro, with negotiations concluded in Milan. However, Juventus intervened through dealings between the Tanzi and Agnelli families, forcing Parma to renege. Lucchesi said Roma would have possessed the strongest squad in the championship for four to five years had those signings materialised.
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Testo Originale / Source Text
“Fabrizio Lucchesi, ex direttore generale della Roma campione d’Italia nel 2000-2001, è intervenuto ai microfoni di Retesport per parlare del momento in casa giallorossa, rivelando anche un aneddoto su Francesco Totti. Di seguito alcune delle sue dichiarazioni: E’ concepibile una Roma senza Totti in…”
Read the full article in Italian at Forza Roma.
