Totti Dreams of Gasperini Roma Reunion: ‘After Zeman, I Can Do Anything’

FolioPitch.com – 20 October 2026 | Francesco Totti has never been short of imagination, and the Roma icon has allowed himself one more daydream in retirement. Speaking at the launch of his new book, Oltre, the former captain confessed that Totti I would have liked to play for Gasperini at Roma after Zeman I can do anything — a sentiment that will intrigue and delight supporters of the Giallorossi in equal measure. The remark, delivered with the trademark mischief that defined his two decades in the capital, came as Totti reflected on a coaching career he never had the chance to experience under one of Italian football‘s most demanding tacticians.

Now 50 years old, Totti retired in 2017 after a record-breaking career spent entirely with his boyhood club. His new book, Oltre, charts the years since that emotional farewell and the transition into what he describes as a second, more complicated life away from the pitch. “This is my life from when I stopped playing to turning 50,” he explained. “It’s another mini-career, with some more complicated moments, but they’re part of everyday life.”

Walking away from the game, he admitted, remains the hardest chapter of all. “Unfortunately there’s a beginning and an end. I hoped that day would never come, but it’s part of the job. Turning the page isn’t easy, especially when it happens suddenly and you don’t know what the future holds.”

A Fascination with Gasperini’s Methods

Gian Piero Gasperini has built a reputation as one of Serie A’s most punishing coaches, renowned for training sessions that test even the fittest professionals. Yet Totti, who survived two separate spells under the notoriously relentless Zdenek Zeman, believes he would have taken Gasperini’s regime in his stride. “Fantasising is nice. You sit on the sofa and think things over, and everything seems simpler,” he said. “I’d have liked it. I know he’s a very tough coach who makes his players work hard. After Zeman, I think I can do anything.”

The line has become something of a signature for the former No. 10, and it is easy to see why. Totti I would have liked to play for Gasperini at Roma after Zeman I can do anything captures both the romanticism of a one-club legend and the self-deprecating humour of a man who knows exactly how brutal Zeman’s double sessions could be.

Book Dedications and a City Dreaming

Asked whether he would rather hand a copy of Oltre to Gasperini or to Roma vice-president Ryan Friedkin, Totti laughed off the dilemma. “Both of them. I’ll leave one in Italian, but the other I’ll have to do in English.” The answer neatly reflects a man comfortable straddling two worlds — the old Roman guard and the modern, American-owned club he once served with such distinction.

On the pitch, Totti’s attention is firmly on the Scudetto race. Roma sit third, two points behind both Inter and Lazio, following Saturday’s commanding 2-0 victory over Genoa. “It’s a great race, because nobody thought Lazio could be up there ahead of everyone with Inter, but Roma are right behind,” he observed. “The city deserves this stage, and I hope Roma go the furthest.”

That hope carries weight. For a player who spent his entire career chasing silverware in the capital, seeing his beloved Roma in contention once more clearly stirs something. The admission that Totti I would have liked to play for Gasperini at Roma after Zeman I can do anything is not merely a throwaway line; it speaks to a lingering curiosity about how his talents might have flourished under a coach who has turned Atalanta into one of Europe’s most admired sides.

Legacy and Longing

There is, of course, a bittersweet quality to the fantasy. Gasperini’s demanding style would have required Totti to adapt late in his career, and the pair never crossed paths at Trigoria. Yet the idea of the eternal captain pressing and harrying under a modern innovator is a tantalising image for a fanbase raised on his artistry. It is telling that even now, years after hanging up his boots, Totti still frames the question in terms of what he could endure rather than what he could produce.

The book launch has offered a rare window into a post-playing life that Totti concedes has been far from straightforward. But it has also reaffirmed his enduring bond with Roma and with the city that adores him. Whether discussing Gasperini’s gruelling sessions or the tight Scudetto standings, he remains unmistakably a Roman talking about his own.

In the end, the fantasy of Totti I would have liked to play for Gasperini at Roma after Zeman I can do anything is less about regret than about possibility. It is the musing of a competitor who still wonders what might have been, delivered with the wit and warmth that made him one of Italian football’s most beloved figures. As Roma chase glory at the top of the table, their greatest son will be watching closely — dreaming, as ever, in Giallorossi.