Totti Says Genoa and Como Tried to Sign Him at Age 48

In excerpts from his upcoming autobiography, the former Roma captain reveals two Serie A clubs pursued a comeback two seasons ago.

Francesco Totti has disclosed that two Serie A sides made attempts to bring him back to the field two seasons ago, when the Roma icon was 48. The claim appears in passages from his forthcoming autobiography, Oltre, which Italian media published on Tuesday.

The clubs involved were Genoa, then guided by Alberto Gilardino, who was 42, and Como, coached at the time by 37-year-old Cesc Fabregas. Totti notes he would have been six and eleven years older than those two managers, respectively.

In the book, the 2006 World Cup winner insists the story is genuine, writing that the episodes sound unbelievable but happened all the same. He explains that his habit of telling visiting journalists he was ready to return prompted someone to take the idea seriously.

Totti turns 50 within days. He never made the comeback, and no deal with either club came together.