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Totti reveals he advised against Pastore signing and criticises Di Francesco's treatment by Pallotta-era board
·29 September 2026·14h ago

Totti reveals he advised against Pastore signing and criticises Di Francesco's treatment by Pallotta-era board

Source: Retesport

Francesco Totti has disclosed in his new book *Oltre* a boardroom clash during his time in a management role at Roma under owner Pallotta, centring on the proposed signing of Javier Pastore from Paris Saint-Germain. Totti attended a meeting with Mauro Baldissoni, Monchi, Federico Balzaretti and Francesco Vallone to discuss the transfer, and spoke against it on tactical grounds. He said: "I have nothing against Pastore. But with Di Francesco's system of play he doesn't fit at all. Where do you put him in a 4-3-3? With the legs he has he can't play on the wing, he doesn't have enough strength. If you need a man for the final pass, okay, we're fine with that, but you have to change the system. We need a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-1-2." Baldissoni reacted angrily: "You always see problems, Francesco, you're always against us."

Totti expressed hurt at being cast as an opponent of the club and frustration at the board's handling of manager Eusebio Di Francesco. He recalled: "Against Roma? Me? I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. 'Francè, I didn't ask for this' Di Francesco would say to me. So I'd go to the directors again: 'Tell the truth. Don't throw our manager into the circus, they'll eat him alive here in Rome'. Nothing. As if they were happy about it." Totti criticised the disharmony within the boardroom, saying that during meetings the directors spoke badly of everyone, and expressed doubt about what they said about him behind closed doors. He concluded that it was not a cohesive management structure.

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Testo Originale / Source Text

“Francesco Totti, all’interno del suo nuovo libro ‘Oltre’, svela un ulteriore retroscena del suo rapporto con la Roma di Pallotta, nel periodo in cui fu chiamato a svolgere mansioni da dirigente. “L’allenatore era Eusebio, mio ex compagno, lo stimavo molto, ma non vedevo stima nei suoi confronti da…”

Read the full article in Italian at Retesport.

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