Luciano Spalletti has defended his handling of Francesco Totti at Roma and reveals Daniele De Rossi is “always welcome” as his assistant.
Spalletti endured a strained relationship with Totti during his second spell as Roma Coach, but the 58-year-old insists he always worked “for the good” of the Giallorossi, while sounding out ‘champion’ De Rossi as a possible No 2.
Luciano Spalletti has defended his handling of Francesco Totti at Roma and reveals Daniele De Rossi is “always welcome” as his assistant.
Spalletti endured a strained relationship with Totti during his second spell as Roma Coach, but the 58-year-old insists he always worked “for the good” of the Giallorossi, while sounding out ‘champion’ De Rossi as a possible No 2.
“Totti? When you accept responsibilities and make decisions, even if they’re the most unpopular ones, they’re always for the good of the team,” he told Corriere dello Sport.
“You always end up disappointing someone or losing their support, but I repeat: if I wronged, it was always for the good of Roma.
“My conscience is clear because I know I gave them my all, or maybe even beyond that.
“If we keep going with this Totti-Spalletti rhetoric, even the turnstiles will stop spinning! I think this story is starting to wear on everyone, so let’s stop talking about it.
“De Rossi as my assistant? Given the absolute quality of my staff, I must say that champions like him are always welcome.
“Becoming Italy CT? My future is always based on what I’m experiencing and the team I’m coaching, and my future right now is taking Inter to the Champions League.
“Who is the right man? Ancelotti. He has everything that everyone likes. Gattuso? I don’t know him as a Coach, but I congratulate him for what he’s doing. As a person, he’s certainly nice and direct.”
The Inter boss then confessed his managerial dream, in typically-unorthodox fashion.
“To play a game of ‘scopa’ [a card game] with the President of Italy on a return flight after winning a Final,” he concluded.