Totti or Balotelli? Italy divided over old and new
Earlier this month, Totti scored his 226th league goal in Roma's 2-0 win over Parma.
ROME (AP) - In the slowly shifting landscape of Italian football, the past week has marked a relatively quick change of focus.
It all started a week ago, when the Azzurri opened their training camp and Italian media latched onto a comment from coach Cesare Prandelli, who said that if Totti keeps up his form he would consider bringing the forward to next year s World Cup in Brazil just a few months short of the Roma captain s 38th birthday.
Never mind that Totti retired from the national team seven years ago. Or, as Totti himself eventually said, that he could be retired altogether by 2014.
The next day s headlines were total Totti Totti this, Totti that while the current crop of Italy players, the group that reached last year s European Championship final, were left to prepare for a friendly vs. Brazil in near oblivion.
Fast forward to Thursday s match in Geneva, which concluded 2-2 after Balotelli s stunning equalizer, a screamer from about 25 yards (meters) that took his tally to eight goals in eight matches in 2013 for club and country.
It was the type of goal that only a highly skilled and confident player would even attempt and reminiscent of Balotelli s second strike in Italy s 2-1 win over Germany in the semifinals of Euro 2012.
After the goal against Germany, Balotelli stripped off his jersey and flexed his muscles in a defiant pose, an emblematic moment that announced his arrival on the sport s biggest stage in the face of his wide array of critics and the fans who still direct racist chants at him.
This time, Balotelli simply waved his hand in a common Italian gesture, as if to say, Look at what I ve done indicating that he had impressed even himself.
While Totti was never really considered best in the world, it is remarkable how long he s been among the best in Italy, which is now being documented by his steady climb up the Serie A record books.
Earlier this month, Totti scored his 226th league goal in Roma s 2-0 win over Parma, surpassing Swedish great Gunnar Nordahl for second place on Serie A s all-time scoring list, 48 behind Silvio Piola s record.
Piola played for Pro Vercelli, Lazio, Torino, Juventus and Novara from 1929-54 and his mark of 274 goals had seemed insurmountable for more than half a century.
Now, though, the discussion in the capital s myriad bars and cafes is whether Totti can catch Piola, which would be a just reward for an entire career dedicated to one club 21 seasons and counting.
Totti has 11 goals with nine matches remaining this season. If he can keep up that level of production for a few more seasons, it s possible.
Of course, age is working against the 36-year-old Totti, who credits his current form to his preseason preparation under Zdenek Zeman, the Roma manager who was fired last month.
