Totti rejected a role for Roma's centenary, unwilling to be a 'decorative figure'

A delegation from the Italian Football Coaches Association (AIAC) visited Roma's Trigoria training ground on 24 September to meet head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and his backroom team. The group was led by AIAC president Renzo Ulivieri and secretary general Luca Perdomi. The meeting focused on dialogue and the association's support for coaches and squads working on the pitch daily. The AIAC shared details of the visit across its official social media channels, underlining the association's commitment to fostering connections with coaching staff at Serie A clubs.

The Italian Coaches' Association (AIAC) visited Roma's Trigoria training ground on 24 September. A delegation led by President Renzo Ulivieri and Secretary General Luca Perdomi met with head coach Gasperini and his technical staff. The visit was framed around "listening, dialogue, presence in the territory, together with the teams that work on their squads," the AIAC posted on Instagram. The delegation also met with Massimiliano Alvini of Frosinone and Gennaro Volpe of Latina Calcio 1932 during the day's tour of Serie A and lower-division clubs.

Francesco Totti has disclosed in his book Oltre that he rejected a proposal to return to Roma as an ambassador for the club's centenary celebrations. The offer came through intermediaries rather than a direct approach from the Friedkin Group, and Totti was asked to serve as the public face of the milestone without a decision-making role. Totti explained his reasoning in the memoir: "I was not comfortable in the role of a pretty figurehead who must smile without making an impact and nod without being able to decide." He emphasised that Roma belongs to its supporters while ownership changes hands, and that he deserves respect befitting his status at the club. He also raised these concerns directly with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini during a dinner meeting held some months ago, explaining that the preconditions for such a return were not in place. In the book, Totti writes: "There was never a face-to-face meeting with the Friedkin Group." He added: "I think Roma belongs to the Romanisti, while ownership comes and goes. And then I believe I deserve, at minimum, that respect afforded to someone considered good company for a coffee."