LifeBogger presents the full story of a Roma Football Legend best known by the nickname; “Gladiator“.
Our version of Francesco Totti’s Childhood Story, including his Biography Facts, brings you a full account of notable events from his boyhood days.
We then proceed to tell you how the Gladiator became successful in football.
The analysis of the AS Roma and Italian Football Legend involves his life story before fame, family background, relationship life and many other OFF-Pitch facts (little known) about him.
Yes, everyone knows he was the one-club man who played for Roma throughout his career.
However, not many soccer lovers have read Francesco Totti’s Biography, which is quite interesting. Now, without further ado, let’s begin.
Francesco Totti Childhood Story – Early Life and Family Background:
For Biography starters, Francesco Totti was born on the 27th day of September 1976, in Rome, the capital city of Italy.
Francesco was born to his Mother, Fiorella Totti (a strict housekeeper) and Father, Lorenzo Totti (a former bank clerk).
Totti’s parents, pictured below with little him, are Italians and of the Roman Catholic faith.
Totti grew up with his elder brother, Riccardo Totti. Both were raised in the Porta Metronia neighbourhood of the city of Rome.
The Great Gift:
Totti, while growing up, unfortunately, did not get to know his grandfather because he died when he was just a little boy.
However, his granddad left a substantial gift behind. That gift was being a “Massive Roma Fan“. Gianluca Totti passed the love to his father, who then passed it to Riccardo and then to him.
Right from his childhood, Roma has been in the blood and souls of little Francesco Totti and his household.
While as a child, Totti didn’t get to see many Roma matches on television. This is because their matches weren’t shown in the ’80s.
The happiest moment of Totti’s Family was witnessed when Roma tickets are bought by his dad. This gives everyone the opportunity to visit the Stadio Olimpico.
As Totti puts it;
We didn’t get to watch too many matches on television because even in Rome they weren’t always shown in the ’80s.
But when I was seven years old, my father got tickets. I can close my eyes and remember the feeling.
The colors, the chants, the smoke bombs going off.
I was such a lively child and just being in the stadium around all those other Roma fans lit up something inside me.
Francesco Totti Biography – Career Buildup:
Even as a young boy, football was more than just a love of football for Totti.
On his bedroom wall, Totti had posters and newspaper clippings of Gianni, Roma’s former captain and mentor.
Just as with most football prodigies, Totti’s interest in football saw him playing street football with other older kids.
It was in his family apartment block that his football skills got perfected. Totti further honed his football skills down the Via Vetulonia, a street due south of Rome’s coliseums and basilicas.
The Encounter:
One day, Totti’s family were on holiday to the coastal town of Torvaianica, about half an hour from central Rome.
Lorenzo, his dad, saw a group of little eight-year-old lads playing football. He went on to ask them if his son could join in the game.
“He’s too small,”
They said, insisting that little Totti, who was four years old, might get himself hurt.
After much persuasion from Lorenzo, the boys agree that Totti plays with them.
Little Totti, upon wearing his red shorts and white shirt with the No:4 on the back, left all players on the field stunned after his dazzling displays.
With little or no resistance from his parents, he continued honing his skills in the sport.
Francesco Totti Biography – Career Summary:
As a boy having a staunch interest in football, Francesco Totti, at the age of eight had his parents enrol him in the roster of the local youth club, Fortitudo Luditor, located in Rome.
After playing there for a year, Totti’s parents in 1984 started a transfer for their son to Smit Trastevere, where he played for another two seasons.
Rising above the club’s youth ranks, Totti became noticeable by greats, even his childhood hero, Giannini.
Ermenegildo Giannini, the father of the great Giuseppe Giannini, was at that time responsible for the youth sector of Rome.
He had already heard of a certain blond, skinny and very skilful boy, so he decided to visit his team and watch him play.
At the end of a match he had watched, Ermenegildo Giannini approached Totti and said:
“You remind me of my son, you will be a champion like him”.
After advice from Ermenegildo, Totti decided to move to Lodigiani, another Rome youth club, in 1986.
His skills and talent, as well as his ability to handle situations, saw him becoming the attention of scouts from top clubs all over Italy.
Francesco Totti’s Bio – The Road to Fame Story:
The Big Refusal: In the year 1989, when Totti was 13, there came a knock on the door of his family apartment in Rome. Totti’s mother, Fiorella, went to answer.
The persons on the other side of the door were supposed to define his football career.
When Fiorella opened the door, a group of men wearing red and black (representing AC Milan) introduced themselves as football directors.
They wanted Totti to come to play for their team at any cost. According to Totti;
My mother threw up her hands after hearing those men. What do you think she said to the gentlemen?
When you are a kid in Rome, there are only two possible choices:
You are either red or blue. AS Roma or Lazio.
But in our family, there was only one possible choice in our blood and souls. That’s Roma.
Still, another dilemma came when the youth club where Totti played had initially agreed to sell him to the youth team of Lazio, still located in Rome.
Fortunately, Roma called at that same time. Totti accepted Roma, finally became Giuseppe Giannini’s predecessor and stayed at the club for the next 24 years. The rest, as they say, is now history.
About Llary Blasi – Francesco Totti’s Wife:
The Short Love Story: Ilary was not giving Totti a lot of chances to know her, and he found a way to get the girl’s attention.
Totti made sure he scored a goal in a Roma Vs Lazio derby. After scoring, he ran to the edge of the pitch to showcase the shirt “6 unique!“ which Ilary also had on her. By implication, it means “You are unique”.
This made beautiful Llary fall in love and finally accepted to date him.
Totti is today happily married to his wife, Llary Blasi, who is a former TV show host. Ilary Blasi is a former showgirl who has been a co-host of Italia 1’s hit show Le Iene since 2007.
The couple exchanged marital vows on the 19th of June, 2005, at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli.
Their wedding was aired on television, with the proceeds being donated to charity. At the time of writing, their union is blessed with three children.
Totti’s first child Cristian was born on the 6th of November 2005. Cristian is the cause of Totti’s finger-sucking celebration, which came a little after he was born.
Both lovers have their first daughter, Chanel, born on the 13th of May, 2007. Their third child, Isabel, was born on the 10th of March, 2016.
Did You Know??… If you want to find Totti & family on vacation, then you should go to Sabaudia, located in the province of Latina, 100 km from Rome.
It is common to find him swimming or just catching a little stream on the beach.
Francesco Totti Previous Relationships:
Until finding the woman of his life, Francesco has been with several models. In 1992, at age 15, Totti had his first love. He began dating Marzia Silvestri, a volleyball player.
In an interview with Corriere Della Sera in 1996, Totti once said;
“I and Marzia will be married in ’98, at the end of my contract with Roma. We have been together for 4 years and the wedding will be an opportunity to leave the house.
At the moment, I do not want to leave my family. My friends change their girlfriends because they have more chances to meet new people.
For me it’s different, and then I’m in love, why should I change? With her I want to build a family.”
The above quote was just a blab as their relationship ended in June of the following year.
Until finding Llary Blasi in 2002, the woman of his life, Francesco dated the following beautiful models, namely; Manuela Arcuri (2001), Maria Mazza (2000 – 2003) and Flavia Vento (2005).
Francesco Totti Biography – Being Loyal to Rome:
Totti maintained loyalty to Roma despite getting advances from big clubs, including Real Madrid, to come to play for them.
Speaking of spending his whole life in Rome, he once said;
“People ask me, why spend your whole life in Rome?
Rome is my family, my friends, the people that I love. The city is the sea, the mountains, the monuments. Rome, of course, is the Romans.
Again, Rome is the yellow and red. Rome, to me, is the world. This club, this city, has been my life.”
Totti’s love for Rome, as well as Roma, has seen him create a bond that is more than football and as such is being celebrated as a national hero with artworks and squares dedicated to him.
He is arguably the most loved Italian and Roma player amongst fans due to his legacy as a “one club man”.
At his retirement, the world decided to pay tribute to their shirt ten and captain Romanista. We present to you Totti’s full emotional farewell speech.
Francesco Totti Bio – Nicknames:
Totti got most of his nicknames from his fans, who adored his style of play as well as his football-playing prowess.
- The nickname Il Gladiatore (The Gladiator) came because of his resilience and fighting spirit. This is seen in his tattoo pictured below.
Having the Gladiator on his arm is the first tattoo of Francesco. This tattoo came as a result of a bet he had with his friend Claudio Amendola.
They both agreed that when Rome won the Scudetto, they would tattoo a gladiator on their right arm.
The day after the victory, the two went to the studio of Gabriele Donnini, the city’s most famous tattoo artist. Below is a photo of Totti fixing his first Tattoo.
Totti is considered to be the “undisputed King of Rome”. This is exemplified in the photo below.
Another nickname Er Bimbo de Oro (The Golden Boy) was given to him because he is the most valued sportsman in Rome.
Totti got the nickname ‘Er Pupone‘ (in a free translation means Bebezão). This name came from his days as a juvenile when Totti was much smaller than his teammates. The name in English means “Big Baby“
Finally, on nicknames, Totti was called- Il Capitano (The Captain) by his fans for being the leader of the club for years.
Francesco Totti Family Life:
First, let’s tell you more About Totti’s Family: He usually calls his mum “mamma mia”. In describing his mum, Totti once said;
My mamma was the boss. She still is the boss. And she was rather attached to her boys, let’s say.
Like any Italian mother, she was a little overprotective.
She did not want me to leave home for fear that something might happen.
Totti’s mother taught has taught her son something. That his home is the most important thing in life. Back then, Fiorella Totti was the one who drove her son to practice.
Outside the grounds, she’d wait for him. She could wait for two, three, sometimes four hours while Totti would get trained. Fiorella would wait in the rain, in the cold, it didn’t matter.
Francesco Totti Brother:
Did you know??.. The emphasis was once on Riccardo when speaking about football in the Totti family. Riccardo, the oldest son, and Totti’s big brother, once played as a sock.
Their father, Enzo, never paid much attention to little Francesco, who is six years younger than his brother.
Riccardo came to play in the basic categories of Rome but was eclipsed by his little brother, Francesco. Today, he currently chairs ASD Totti soccer school owned by Francesco, his little brother.
Personal Life:
- When Totti won his First Football Gift: In Rome, during Totti’s early years. There was always a special tradition on the five and 6th of January.
An old lady named Befana (an adapted version of Santa) passes in all the houses and leaves candy and other presents for the children who behaved well or pieces of charcoal for those who behaved badly.
At 3 years old, little Totti won his first Befana gift: a soccer ball. He slept with her every night.
For most kids, this is how it feels like seeing and holding Totti for the first time.
Totti’s passion for sweets and ice cream and a special love for Labrador puppies. He has 6 dogs as at the time of writing.
Francesco once decided to donate two of his dogs to a rescue school for them to be trained on how to help people in difficulty at sea.
His dog Ariel once saved two people, a woman of 60 years and a girl of 8 years, in the beach of Sant’Agostino.
An AS Roma Fan currently honours Footballer Francesco Totti with a MASSIVE Tattoo. See Below!!
For Totti: That moment when you realize you will be on this guy’s body FOREVER!!
- The dream team of Francesco Totti is as follows: Buffon, Maicon, Candela, Samuel, De Rossi, Xavi, Iniesta, Totti, Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi and Ibrahimovic.
Interestingly, Totti did not choose a coach to close the list. Totti considers Gianluigi Buffon as one of the few real friends he has played in football. The two met during their under-15 times.
Other companions with whom he maintains frequent contact are Alessandro Nesta, Vincent Candela, Cristian Panucci, Vincenzo Montella, Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Del Piero whom he exchanges messages regularly despite their old rivalry on the pitch.
- In 2004, Totti was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the world’s greatest living players, selected by Pelé, as part of FIFA’s centenary celebrations.
- Totti at the time of writing holds the record as the oldest goalscorer in UEFA Champions League history, aged 38 years and 59 days.
Appreciation Note:
Thanks for reading our Francesco Totti Biography and Childhood Story. At LifeBogger, We strive for accuracy and fairness in our quest to deliver you Italian Football Legends.
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Hale Hendrix
Hi there! I am Hale Hendrix, a passionate football enthusiast and writer dedicated to uncovering the untold stories of footballers' childhood and biography. With a deep love for the beautiful game, I have spent countless hours researching and interviewing players to bring to light the lesser-known details of their lives.
The undisputed king of Rome