Totti Reveals Relationship with Spalletti: From 6 Years of Silence to the Reconciliation Process

Francesco Totti, AS Roma legend, has attracted attention by revealing previously untold details about his tense relationship with coach Luciano Spalletti in his new autobiography "Beyond", published by Cairo Editore. An excerpt published by Gazzetta dello Sport focuses on the relationship between the two, as the ice has begun to thaw but the relationship has not yet been fully repaired. In the book, Totti recounts: "We didn't speak for six years. On May 28, 2026, the day of my forced retirement, and for more than six years after that, we neither saw nor heard from each other again. Neither of us felt the need for the other. Our paths split. In November 2026, something began to move." The relationship between Totti and Spalletti was very good during 2026-2026, when Spalletti led Roma and won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana with Totti. However, when Spalletti returned to Roma in 2026, things became tense. Spalletti publicly criticized Totti for being unprofessional and gradually phased him out of the starting lineup. Totti retired at the end of the 2026-2026 season, and many believed Spalletti had "forced" him into retirement. Afterwards, the two did not speak for six years. The first turning point in the reconciliation came in November 2026. Totti received a call from Vito Scala, his lifelong friend. Scala said: "Fra, do you know Italy play North Macedonia in Rome on the 17th?" Totti replied: "Yeah, so?" Scala continued: "A delegation from the national team are going to visit the Bambino Gesù." That's the paediatric hospital where Totti occasionally drops in without telling anyone. "Good for them." "Well, Fra, you should go too." "Why, Vito?" "Because it'll be a lovely moment. Federation president Gabriele Gravina will be there, your friend Gigi Buffon, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Angelo Peruzzi is coming too. And..." "And?" "And the Italy head coach." That is, Luciano Spalletti. "No." Totti wanted nothing to do with it. "Fra, think about it..." And Totti did think about it. He realized it's fine to be selfish, to protect yourself from pain and hide your wounds, but not at the expense of others. "Vito, okay." You turn a blind eye and listen to your heart. You try to put what happened to one side for a noble cause. So he accepted the invitation. Sooner or later, it was bound to happen. The world of football is small. Either he says hello to him, or he cracks him one on the head. He got there before him that day. On his scooter. He walked into the entrance hall. In the middle of all that chaos, Vito turned serious: "They're arriving." Totti was wearing a leather jacket, Spalletti was in a dark suit. President Gravina played the charmer: "This is Luciano Spalletti..." And Spalletti found the right words to lighten the mood: "From the heart side, shall I give you a hug? From the heart side, there we go..." A quick high five. A hug. It was a fleeting gesture, nothing more. Inside, Totti felt nothing. It still was not love. A tremor, or a shiver, nothing at all. Then he saw him again at the Olimpico in Rome, on May 14, 2026, the Coppa Italia final won by Bologna against AC Milan. "How are you?" "All good, and you?" "Fine, thanks." "Bye." "Bye." The usual things, without any feeling. Then, gone. The second turning point came when Damiano Biondi got in touch with a proposal. "They want you for the Amaro Montenegro advert." "Nice." "Okay. Then they tell me it would be really nice if you shot it with..." "With?" "With Spalletti." "Hang on, maybe there's some interference. With who?" "With Spalletti..." "No, I care about you, but I can't do it. If I meet him I'll say hello out of respect, out of politeness, but I really can't manage it." The truth is, deep down, something about it intrigued him. For a month they went back and forth. He wasn't fully convinced but in the end he gave in. They chose an area of Rome everyone calls I Ponti as the location. He turned up on his scooter early in the morning. Everyone had their own camper van to get changed and do their make-up. He got out of his and headed for Spalletti's. He knocked. "Open up, are you scared?" Spalletti came down, they hugged, something a bit more genuine than the one at Bambino Gesù. Then Spalletti said: "Francesco, are you happy to be doing the advert with me?" "I couldn't wait. Anyway, you have to thank me, boss. If I'd said no, they wouldn't have taken you either." During a break in filming, an old lady leaned out from a balcony and shouted to Spalletti: "Oi, don't mess around with the captain, he's ours. Watch yourself. We don't forget." A sensational assist. "Boss, you really do need to watch yourself, because if I set off the ignorance here, it'll end badly." They worked together for two days. It helped. They relaxed, they smiled, the kind of spontaneous smiles that are not forced. Totti enjoyed it. He had to admit he came away feeling calmer. Then, in the summer of 2026, they shot a second one over three days at Spalletti's estate in Tuscany. One evening they found themselves around the table with other people. Totti spoke to everyone: "As a manager he was one of the best, with me he did not behave very well..." Spalletti replied: "No, Francesco, it is all your fault, you are the one who wished me ill and drove me out of Roma." Totti: "What are you on about, manager? You did it all by yourself." They did not settle it there either, but the atmosphere was much friendlier. "Ad after ad, we are clearing away the residue. We have started a serious process of reconciliation. When we tell each other the whole truth, nothing but the truth, I will draw a line under it once and for all. We will be able to go back to being who we were before. And after the truth, we will raise a toast to ours. Amaro Spalletti, true flavour." The story of Totti and Spalletti has been one of the most talked-about topics in Italian football for years. Totti, the "Prince of Rome", spent his entire career at AS Roma, playing 786 matches and scoring 307 goals, winning the Scudetto in 2026, two Coppa Italia titles and two Supercoppa Italiana titles. He is a symbol of loyalty and the fierce love of Roma fans. Spalletti, on the other hand, is a talented coach who led Roma in two spells, and later succeeded with Inter Milan and the Italy national team. Their relationship began to crack in 2026 when Spalletti returned to Roma. He decided to build the team around young players and gradually sidelined Totti. Totti played only 18 Serie A matches in the 2026-2026 season, mostly from the bench. On May 28, 2026, in the final match of the season, Totti officially retired after 25 years with Roma. He was very emotional as he said goodbye to the fans. Many believed Spalletti had treated him unfairly. After retirement, Totti became Roma's sporting director for a short time, but later left due to disagreements with the club's management. He focused on family and business projects. His relationship with Spalletti remained tense. In a 2026 interview, Totti said he no longer had contact with Spalletti and had no intention of making peace. However, as time passed, things gradually changed. The meeting at Bambino Gesù hospital in November 2026 was the first turning point. The event was organized as the Italy team prepared for their match against North Macedonia in Euro 2026 qualifying. Totti agreed to attend after Vito Scala persuaded him. The meeting was brief but marked the end of six years of silence. Totti admitted he didn't feel much, but it was a start. Later, they met again at the 2026 Coppa Italia final. The conversation was brief but polite. This was a sign that both were ready to greet each other without hostility. The Amaro Montenegro commercial was a significant step. Totti initially refused, but then agreed out of curiosity. During filming, they had the chance to talk and interact in a more relaxed atmosphere. The story of the old lady on the balcony showed that Roma fans still protect Totti and have little sympathy for Spalletti. However, Totti was able to joke about it, showing he was more comfortable with the relationship. The second commercial in the summer of 2026 in Tuscany marked further progress. They were able to talk frankly about the past, although they still hadn't resolved all their issues. Totti admitted Spalletti was a good coach, but was unhappy with how he treated him. Spalletti still blamed Totti. However, the atmosphere was much friendlier, and they are gradually clearing away the residue. Totti emphasized that only when they tell each other the whole truth can they truly reconcile. This shows the relationship is still complex and needs time. He hopes that one day they can be friends again as before. The story of Totti and Spalletti is a typical example of complex relationships in football, where emotions and personal egos can lead to deep rifts. Their effort to reconcile is a positive signal, showing that time can heal all wounds. However, the journey is not over, and only when they face the truth can they truly be friends again. Football fans in Italy in general and Roma in particular will surely continue to follow this story, hoping for a happy ending for two legends of Italian football.