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First Post
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- First Post
How pressure of being Francesco Totti's son, social media controversy forced Cristian to retire at 19
Fame can have an ugly side, and Francesco Totti's son Cristian found that out the hard way, as constant scrutiny and a social media controversy forced the 19-year-old to retire from professional football. read more Cristian Totti, the son of legendary footballer Francesco Totti, has retired at the age of 19. Images: Cristian Totti on Instagram Professional football is tough, especially in Europe, but it becomes tougher if you are always trying to live up to a famous name. Something similar happened to Cristian, the son of Italian legend Francesco Totti, who has now retired from professional football at the age of 19. The central midfielder Cristian Totti decided to retire last week after spending eight months without a club. He last played for Olbia Calcio 1905, a football club in Italy's fourth division, Serie D STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I can't say anything… Yes, I'm retiring, I've decided,' Cristian told La Nuova, as per The Sun. Cristian suffers in legendary Francesco's shadows In contrast, his father, Totti, had a glittering career as he spent his entire professional career at AS Roma in the Italian Serie A, the top division. Totti made 786 appearances for the Stadio Olimpico-based club and also won the 2006 FIFA World Cup with the Italy national team. At the club level, the senior Totti won the Serie A once and the Coppa Italia twice. As an attacking midfielder, he was one of the most sought-after in the early 2000s as Real Madrid and Manchester United tried to sign him, but Totti never left Roma, becoming a local icon. More from Football But he wouldn't have imagined in his wildest dreams that his legendary legacy would become such a heavy burden for his son. Social media leads to shocking decision from Cristian Explaining Cristian's shocking decision, Italian journalist Paolo Ardovino said that unnecessary scrutiny on social media drove the teenager towards shocking retirement. 'His last experience was in Sardinia, a year ago with Olbia in Serie D,' Ardovino said. 'Few appearances, a lot of media pressure, and even a huge social media controversy over his questionable physical condition. 'Spoiler: it wasn't true; he's always had the normal physique of a normal footballer.' Francesco Totti with his son Cristian after his last game for AS Roma in 2017. Image: Reuters His former coach, Marco Amelia, shared that Cristian could have had a successful career in the lower Italian leagues, but the pressure of being Totti's son was too much for him. 'I think he would have had a great career ahead of him as a player in Serie C and Serie B,' Amelia said. 'Being Totti's son had an impact on his evaluations.' This brings an end to his brief career, which started with youth teams of Roma, Frosinone and Rayo Vallecano before playing Serie D football with Avezzano and Olbia. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Cristian will now work with his elder brother, Riccardo, at the Totti Soccer School in Italy. His primary job will be to identify young talent.
The Hindu
16 hours ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Cristian, son of Francesco Totti, announces retirement at 19
Cristian, son of AS Roma legend Francesco Totti, announced his retirement from football at the age of 19 on Monday. Though he gave no official reason for the decision, several media reports have claimed that the pressure of being a legend's son weighed too much on him. Totti, a FIFA World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, spent his entire career at AS Roma, playing over 780 matches and scoring 307 goals. He won the Serie A once and the Coppa Italia, and Supercoppa Italiana twice with the side, earning the nickname L'Ottavo Re di Roma (the eighth King of Rome) from the club's fans. Cristian, however, had a different trajectory in professional football. Cristian's most recent experiences included short spells with Avezzano & Olbia in Italy's fourth division. | Photo Credit: Instagram/cristiantotti__ He began his youth career at Roma but limited game-time — 15 minutes across two U18 — saw him move to Frosinone Primavera, where he scored once in four matches. He then had a brief spell at Rayo Vallecano in Spain, while his most recent experiences included short spells with Avezzano & Olbia in Italy's fourth division. However, he constantly remained under heavy criticism — especially body shaming — on social media, with some calling him Captain Salsiccia (Captain Sausage). 'He was treated like dirt because he's the son of Francesco and Ilary (Blasi),' Ninni Corda, the technical director of Olbia, had told Sportitalia in an earlier interview. Cristian, however, will not be away from football entirely. He will now work at the Totti Soccer School, founded by his father.
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Lennon Miller offered four-year deal by Euro club as Motherwell star closes in on exit with new club leading the race
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BOLOGNA are trying to hijack Udinese's move for Motherwell star Lennon Miller. The Coppa Italia winners want to team the midfielder up with Scotland pal Lewis Ferguson, Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Lennon Miller could finally be closing in on his next move Credit: Kenny Ramsay 2 Miller training alongside Lewis Ferguson and Scotland team-mates Credit: Willie Vass Udinese were in the driving seat for Miller after holding talks with the 18-year-old last week. But the Serie A side have yet to meet Well's £4million-plus valuation - after having two bids rejected in January. That has opened the door for Bologna to steal in, with Italian reports claiming a four-year deal is on the table. It's understood Ipswich Town are also long-term admirers of the Fir Park teen sensation. However, Miller would prefer a move abroad and Italy now seems his most likely destination. The midfielder has yet to feature for Motherwell in a competitive game this season. Boss Jens Berthel Askou refused to rule him out of Saturday's Premiership opener against Rangers. But it's unlikely Miller will play any part in that fixture as his future edges closer to being resolved. Discussing Miller's future ahead of the clash with Gers, the Motherwell boss said: 'I don't expect his situation to be resolved in the next few days. "There's nothing new on Lennon Miller so right now he's still our player and he's back in little bit of training and I look forward to seeing him on Monday. 'There is a possibility of him playing against Rangers but again we will have to get some answers next week. 'It's not ruled out.' Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Lennon Miller transfer latest as appearance vs Rangers 'not ruled out' with Serie A duo primed amid £5m demand
Miller is hot property and Udinese and Bologna are taking a keen interest but no fresh bids have arrived Udinese and Bologna are yet to make the first move in the summer race for Lennon Miller. The Serie A rivals are both keen on Well's £5m-rated teen ace. But neither has yet submitted a bid this window - and manager Jens Berthel Askou could hand the playmaker a first appearance of the season in the Premiership opener against Rangers next Saturday. Miller has sat out the four Premier Sports Cup group games so far and again wasn't involved in Friday's friendly draw with Hertha Berlin at Fir Park. And Askou said: 'I don't expect his situation to be resolved in the next few days. 'There's nothing new on Lennon Miller so right now he's still our player and he's back in little bit of training and I look forward to seeing him on Monday. 'There is a possibility of him playing against Rangers but again we will have to get some answers next week. It's not ruled out.' Miller has entered the final year of his contract in Lanarkshire and Well are demanding a record fee for the academy product. Udinese had a £2.5m bid rejected in January but are weighing up a fresh offer. Bologna too are long term admirers of the midfielder who made his Scotland debut in last month's friendly double header against Iceland and Luxembourg. Celtic too have been keeping tabs on the 18-year-old while there's been interest in Germany and England. But so far no fresh offers have been tabled this window. Miller's dad Lee, the former Aberdeen, Hearts and Falkirk striker, admitted last month that a move abroad was his son's preferred option. Coppa Italia champions Bologna, captained by Miller's Scotland team mate Lewis Ferguson, return to competitive action on August 23 with a Serie A opener away to Roma. Udinese, who finished 12th last season, are back in action five days earlier in a Coppa Italia first round meeting with Carrarese. You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also on WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Kilmarnock star ‘flies out for medical' to become latest player to swap Scottish Premiership for Serie A
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ITALY's top flight looks set to recruit another Scottish Premiership star. The likes of Lewis Ferguson, Aaron Hickey, Josh Doig and Liam Henderson have all left Scotland and played in Serie A in recent years. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Lewis Ferguson won the Coppa Italia with Bologna this year Credit: Alamy 3 Josh Doig won promotion to Serie A with Sassuolo last season Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk Scotland national team stars Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour joined them last season and would go on to win the Scudetto with Napoli. Now according to several reports in Italy, Kilmarnock defender Corrie Ndaba is due to fly out for a medical before completing a transfer to Lecce. The left-back, 25, has two years remaining on his deal at Rugby Park so the Ayrshire club will bank a nice fee for the player if the move follows through as expected. Ndaba joined Kilmarnock last year from Ipswich Town, having previously spent time on loan there. A Republic of Ireland youth international, Ndaba came through the Ipswich youth ranks but never played a competitive league match for the Tractor Boys. He instead had several loans spells, including one at Killie's local rivals, Ayr United. According to Sky Italy, Ndaba will sign a three-year deal with the option of extending for a further two. Ndaba made 38 appearances in all competitions for Killie last season as a key member of the squad under Derek McInnes. He became a fan favourite the year before during his initial loan stint. Ndaba scored once and provided one assist from left-back in the 2024-25 campaign. Rodgers' message to Celtic board, striker woes & huge Champions League risk He had similar stats the previous season, with a single goal and assists across 37 total games. As well as left-back, Ndaba can also play at centre-back or on the left of midfield. Lecce finished three points clear of the drop zone last term and new boss Eusebio Di Francesco has been keen to strengthen his defence. The team conceded 58 goals in 38 league matches. Based in the south of Italy, Lecce currently have former Rangers midfielder Lassana Coulibaly and ex-Aberdeen star Ylber Ramadani on their books. 3 Corrie Ndaba evades Tony Watt of Motherwell when in action for Kilmarnock Credit: Roddy Scott Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
