Football
ESPN staff 8y

Footballers today follow money and not their hearts - Roma's Totti

Roma's evergreen captain Francesco Totti has slammed the big-money moves of players in Serie A and claims the new breed of footballers are all about money instead of passion.

The World Cup winner with Italy is entering his 25th year as a Roma player, having signed a one-year contract extension in June to play on for his hometown club where he has amassed a staggering 758 games with 304 goals scored.

While Totti, 40, agreed to prolong his career which will see him as one of few players who have only plied their trade for one club in his entire career, the former Italy international was less receptive of players such as ex-teammate Miralem Pjanic and Gonzalo Higuain, who both joined Juventus.

Pjanic signed for Juventus in a €32 million deal, after using a clause in his contract which allowed him to leave the club for a pre-agreed fee.

Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain has also jumped from Napoli to join the reigning Serie A champions for €90m, to become the most expensive transfer ever in Italian football.

"Footballers today are a bit like nomads," Totti told Gazzetta World. "They follow money and not their hearts. Maybe that is the difference between me and all the others.

"There are not many sportsmen who follow their hearts. If I had only thought about money I would have left Roma 10 years ago. For me it's about passion, not about money. I have always loved these colours and always wanted to put on this shirt.

"People go to the stadiums to enjoy themselves and to see players in action who will always be with their team. They expect not to be betrayed.

"Just look at what happened with Higuain, leaving Napoli for Juventus. It's a disaster.

"But it is apparently quite normal for a foreign player these days to just leave for another team where they can make more money. It's a mentality problem."

Totti also gave his take on the changes he would like to see in Italian football, where he hopes to see the Serie A limiting the number of foreign players in each team.

"If it was up to me I'd go back to the old times, when there was a maximum of two foreigners on every team," he added.

"The rest should be Italian, maybe two or three on the pitch that aren't.

"With our team we don't even speak Italian. We speak English. Players, coaches, trainers, massage therapists all speak English. They're all foreigners now."

Roma will kick start their 2016-17 campaign on Aug. 21 with a home game against Udinese.

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