Cristian Totti, son of Italy and AS Roma legend Francesco Totti, has retired from football at just 19 years, according to africatopsports.com.
After spells with the youth academies of Roma, Frosinone, Rayo Vallecano, and a final experience in Serie D with Olbia, the young striker is stepping away from the field earlier than anyone expected.
Subjected to intense scrutiny because of his name, Cristian faced enormous pressure throughout his young career.
His time at Olbia was particularly difficult, with online critics often targeting his physical condition rather than his performance.
Despite his efforts, the expectations became too much, prompting him to shift direction and leave competitive football behind.
Cristian won’t stray far from the sport as he has now joined the Totti Soccer School created by his father and led by his older brother Riccardo where he will work alongside general manager Claudio D’Ulisse.
His role will focus on scouting and mentoring young talent, marking the start of a new chapter in football, just off the pitch.
Francesco Totti: Achievements at Roma, Italy
Totti, 48, spent his entire career at Roma, winning a Serie A title, two Coppa Italia titles, and two Supercoppa Italiana titles.
A prolific goalscorer, he is the second-highest scorer of all time in Italian league history with 250 goals, and is the sixth-highest scoring Italian in all competitions with 316 goals.
Totti is the top goalscorer and the most capped player in Roma’s history, holds the record for the most goals scored in Serie A while playing for a single club, and also holds the record for the youngest club captain in the history of Serie A.
Totti was part of the Italy squad that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany and also helped his country finish as runners-up at UEFA Euro 2000.
Following his impressive performance for Italy, Totti was selected in the All-Star team for both 2006 World Cup and Euro 2000 tournaments. He also represented his country at the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004.
In 2007 due to recurring physical problems, Totti announced his international retirement to focus solely on club play with Roma.
