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How pressure of being Francesco Totti's son, social media controversy forced Cristian to retire at 19
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
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'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.
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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.
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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.
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