Francesco Totti confirms he will leave Roma at end of season

Francesco Totti has said Sunday’s Serie A match against Genoa will be his last as a Roma player.

The 40-year-old striker, who made his debut for the Giallorossi in 1993, is expected to call time on his long career when his contract ends in the summer.

The news had been expected after Roma’s new director of sport Monchi announced that Totti will retire earlier this month.

“I already knew that he had this agreement with the club [to become a director] and that this was going to be his last year as a player before starting as a director,” Monchi said. “Francesco is Roma and I’m going to ask him to be close to me. Even if I can only learn one percent of what he knows, that is already a lot.”

Totti had remained silent on his future, but in a statement published on his official Twitter account on Thursday he confirmed the Genoa game would be the last in which he would “wear the Roma shirt.”

He said: “Roma-Genoa, Sunday 28th May 2017, the last time I can wear Roma’s jersey.

“I can’t tell you in a few words how much these colors meant, mean and will always mean to me.

“I just feel that my love for football never fades: it’s a passion, my passion. It’s so deep I can’t imagine not fuelling it any longer. Ever.

“From Monday I’m ready to go again. I’m ready for a new challenge.”

The statement stopped short of confirming his retirement with some reports suggesting he could extend his career with Miami where former Italy teammate Alessandro Nesta is in charge.

Totti has been with Roma since the age of 13, and has gone on to make almost 800 appearances for the club, becoming their record goal scorer, and he is currently the oldest goal scorer in a Champions League match, finding the net at the age of 38 and 59 days.