Totti declines to confirm retirement at end of season

ROME: AS Roma stalwart Francesco Totti declined on Wednesday to confirm he will retire at the end of the season, apparently contradicting comments made by the club’s sporting director Monchi last week.

Totti was asked by Italian media during an event here to confirm that May 28 — the last day of the Serie A season - would be his last match.

He simply replied: “I don’t know.”

Last week, Monchi had told reporters: “There is an agreement with the club that this will be his last year and then he will continue as a director. I want him on my side because he is Roma and can teach me what Roma is.”

Totti, 40, has been at Roma since he was 13, made his first-team debut in 1993 and became the club’s all-time appearance record holder and top scorer.

He captained Roma to the 2001 Serie A title and back-to-back Coppa Italia triumphs in 2007 and 2008. He is out of contract at the end of the season.

Totti, who also won the 2006 World Cup with Italy, is in his 24th season at Roma but has been used sparingly by coach Luciano Spalletti, with his 15 Serie A appearances including just one start and two half-time introductions from the bench.