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First Post
17 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.
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Shearer's six-word Evan Ferguson remark speaks volumes as he admits his surprise
Alan Shearer couldn't help but think "wow, what a player he looks," as Evan Ferguson dismantled Newcastle United with a hat-trick. The Irishman has impressed with Brighton and Hove Albion since joining from Bohemians in 2021, racking up 17 goals and six assists in 80 outings for the Seagulls. However, due to stiff competition from the likes of Danny Welbeck and Joao Pedro in 2024/25, Ferguson was sent out on a half-season loan with West Ham in February for more frequent football. What ensued was an eight-game dry spell, with the 20-year-old unable to find the back of the net for the Hammers before returning to his parent club. However, if the opinion of all-time Premier League leading goalscorer Shearer is anything to go by, Ferguson still holds massive potential. Speaking to Betfair, the Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle legend said: "I was hugely impressed by Evan Ferguson a few seasons ago and think I did an article on that and how I thought his potential was massive. I'm a tad surprised he's left the Premier League but also it may be a reset for him. "He may go over to Italy for a couple of years and then look to come back to England. I'm surprised he's chosen to leave the Premier League, but I guess we're not sure how many offers he had. "I'd have liked to have seen him stay and show the potential he did in the early days at Brighton. When he scored that hat-trick against Newcastle, I just thought 'wow, what a player he looks.' He's certainly one to keep an eye on over the next season or two." The game in which Shearer referred to took place at the American Express Stadium in September 2023, with Ferguson in flying form against an off-the-pace Newcastle side. Ferguson opened the scoring on the 27th minute when Nick Pope spilled a long-range effort from Billy Gilmour into the striker's path. Evan Ferguson impressed Alan Shearer (Image: PA) He bagged his brace with 65 minutes on the clock, hitting a dipping effort past Pope and into the bottom right corner of the net from outside the box, before completing his hat-trick for the afternoon with a left-footed curler from the edge of the area five minutes later. Callum Wilson's stoppage time goal came as all but a consolation for the Magpies, who made the long journey back to Tyneside with a 3-1 loss to show for their efforts. It comes as Ferguson is set to spend the entirety of 2025/26 on loan with Roma, with the Serie A stalwarts agreeing a deal with Brighton on Wednesday. Speaking about the move, Brighton head coach, Fabian Hurzeler, said: "Evan had a challenging period across the past season and a half, and it has been one disrupted by niggling injury issues. He really wants to play regularly and this is an exciting opportunity in a strong league and with the prospect of European football." And it hasn't taken Ferguson long to make a mark at his temporary club either, scoring four goals in a training-ground friendly against Serie D outfit UniPomezia on Thursday as a No. 9. Roma will be eager to improve on last season's fifth-place finish in Serie A when 2025/26 rolls around, with Ferguson also potentially relishing at playing Europa League football with I Giallorossi. Ferguson spent the last half of 2024/25 on loan with West Ham (Image: CameraSport via Getty Images) Brighton, meanwhile, will miss out on European football this season as a result of finishing eighth in the Premier League standings in 2024/25. However, the Seagulls have worked tirelessly to improve their squad for the fresh campaign, welcoming a number of fresh faces to the AMEX. Centre-half Diego Coppola secured a move to Brighton in June from Hellas Verona for an undisclosed fee, before Do-young Yoon joined the ranks from Daejeon Hana Citizen on a five-year deal at the turn of July. As part of plans from the Brighton camp, however, Yoon will spend his first season with the Seagulls on loan with Excelsior Rotterdam to develop further. Tommy Watson also joined at the turn of the transfer window through a pre-agreed deal with Sunderland AFC, while Maxim De Cuyper made his way to the south coast from Club Brugge, and Charalampos Kostoulas arrived from Olympiacos. It comes as Brighton are set to return to the UK after completing a pre-season tour of Spain. The Seagulls secured a 3-1 win over Stoke City and a 2-0 win over Las Palmas at the Marbella Football Centre and now prepare to take on Southampton at St Mary's and Wolfsburg on home soil ahead of their Premier League opener with Fulham on August 16.
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
‘Irish Harry Kane' - Roma fans hail Ferguson as Ireland striker scores again
He's barely at the club a few days, but already fans of AS Roma are gushing over Evan Ferguson. The Ireland striker could hardly have asked for a better start when he scored four goals and produced one assist in a 9-0 thumping of Serie D side UniPomezia, which was played behind closed doors at the club's training ground. But Saturday's pre-season friendly away to Kaiserslautern, at a full Fritz-Walter Stadion, was always going to provide a much tougher test for the on-loan star. However, it didn't take Ferguson long to deliver. His 16th minute goal was enough to earn the Serie A side the win. And his overall performance, where he led a high press that new boss Gian Piero Gasperini brought with him from his former club Atalanta, brought him much love from the club's fantatical support base. Many took to social media to give their verdicts on the Irishman's display. Here are some of the highlights: 'Athletically not at their sharpest, as is expected at this stage of preparation, but man, I love the style of play. That man-to-man pressure, the compactness, etc ... Few risks conceded, interesting passing patterns. Ferguson is just a joy to watch!' 'Keep it up, Rome! Great job Ferguson' 'Our Irish Harry Kane' One fan even referenced the loan deal from Brighton, which has a €40million option to buy at the end of the season, writing: 'Sooooooooooooooo can we just buy him outright now?!' Another kept it simple, just posting, 'Evan', followed by 28 love heart emojis in Roma colours. Many Roma fans were producing Irish flag emojis - and after years of heartache, one wrote: 'Another goal from Ferguson. Is it already okay to get our hopes up?' Ferguson's arrival could spell bad news for Roma's 28-year-old Ukraine striker Artem Dovbyk. 'At 20 years old, (Ferguson) already shows character and desire. Honestly, it's very promising. The only doubt I have is that after a year of Dovbyk, seeing a striker who moves into spaces, attacks, and holds up the ball feels incredible. It's still too early to get carried away. But he looks promising.' Another posted: 'This year will be tough for Dovbyk. This guy (Ferguson) is really strong.' One asked: 'When is he being presented with the golden boot?' Other posts included: 'Mark my words, this season Evan Ferguson will make the difference in Italian League! Rt if you agree!' 'Evan Ferguson is in some the best hands for production and maximising attacking talent playing under Gasperini' 'Evan Ferguson bout to win serie a golden boot calling it now' 'I'm buying all the available Evan Ferguson stocks' 'I love Evan Ferguson in this team so much' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ferguson shows why he is perfect fit for Gasperini as he nets winner for Roma
Evan Ferguson has continued his blistering start to life as a Roma player by scoring the only goal in their pre-season friendly win away to Kaiserslautern. The Serie A side flew into Germany for Saturday evening's clash, as pre-season preparations intensified under new boss Gian Piero Gasperini. And it took the Ireland striker just 16 minutes to fire his new club into the lead. He won't have many easier finishes, but it was his pressing that forced the two errors that gave him the chance to slot the ball into an empty net. First up, he shadowed left-sided centre-half Maxwell Gyamfi, who feeling the Meathman breathing down his neck played a poor pass back to his goalkeeper Julian Krahl. As Ferguson chased the backpass, Krahl, stretching to keep the ball in play, took a heavy touch, allowing the on-loan Brighton man to steal possession. The 20-year-old then had the easiest of finishes, as he rolled the ball into the net. His goal would have delighted Gasperini, with the new Roma manager's philosophy on display right from the start against the 2. Bundesliga side. Gasperini's Atalanta side prided themselves on a high-octane pressure game - and that's how Roma played yesterday, with Ferguson leading the press. The goal came straight from Gasperini's tactical blueprint, with the Irishman forcing errors by not giving Gyamfi or his goalkeeper a second to settle on the ball. And he continued to harass and pressure the Kaiserslautern defence for the remainder of his time on the pitch, with Ferguson among the first batch of substitutes to be made on the hour mark. You could see from Saturday's performance why the new Roma boss made the Ireland star his top striker priority. Ferguson's aggression and energy is exactly what Gasperini is after - and if he takes his early pre-season form into the new Serie A campaign, the €40million option to buy will seem like a bargain. He came into this game on the back of a sensational debut, albeit against lowly opposition - Serie D side UniPomezia. However, his four goals and an assist, after just one training session with his new teammates, had Roma fans and Italian media gushing over the Irishman. Kaiserslautern provided a much bigger challenge, even if they are not the club they once were. Although a pre-season friendly, the game was played in front of a full-house at the Fritz-Walter Stadion, and Roma's early pressing gave the hosts plenty of early problems. The Italians continued to dominate after Ferguson's opener, and while Manu Kone headed a Matias Soule free kick onto the roof of the net, it was the Irishman who looked the most dangerous of Roma's attacking players. With his confidence sky high, he seemed to be trying to carve out shooting opportunities every time he got on the ball. On one occasion, he picked up possession to the right of the area, dribbled past one challenge, but was stopped by a second as he ran along the 18-yard line, looking for an opening. He almost got another bite at it, though, poking the ball away from the defender, but it broke kindly for the goalkeeper. Ferguson continued to sniff out potential openings, while two heavy challenges late in the first-half knocked him to the ground. He linked up well with his teammates and teed up Soule for a chance that forced a fine save from Krahl. Shortly before he was substituted, he was shown a yellow card. Kaiserslautern's Marlon Ritter smashed the ball straight into the forward, who ran across him as he prepared to take a free-kick. Ferguson reacted by shoving the Kaiserslautern captain, and both players were cautioned. It wasn't long after that Gasperini made four changes, including Ferguson, but he will be delighted with his 60-minute runout. Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Watch: Evan Ferguson scores again for Roma against Kaiserslautern
Evan Ferguson has maintained his bright start to life in Roma with the only goal in Roma's friendly win over Kaiserslautern on Saturday. The on-loan Brighton man scored four times this week in a training game win over Serie D minnows UniPomezia. Even on such a low-key stage, it was a boost for the Republic of Ireland frontman after a barren spell in front of goal for the Seagulls. He had netted just once for the club since November 2023, after a period marred by injury and loss of form as well as an unsuccessful loan to West Ham. Rome isn't built in a day but the 20-year-old continued to impress his new fans and new Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini with the only goal in Germany. Ferguson profited from a mistake by goalkeeper Julian Krahl, but it was the youngster's lively pressing that forced the gaffe, allowing him to roll the ball home from close range.
