Lazio booked their place in the Coppa Italia final on Tuesday after securing a 4-3 aggregate win over Roma.
Leading 2-0 heading into the return leg at the Stadio Olimpico, a 3-2 defeat was enough to seal their place in the final in June.
It means Francesco Totti’s final season as a Roma player could be a trophyless one. The 40-year-old, who has played for the Giallorossi for his entire career, has a contract offer on the table to become Roma’s club director, according to club president James Pallotta.
"We've not spoken [about his playing future] but Francesco has a six-year contract as a director," Pallotta said recently, per Gazzetta dello Sport.
It was weird seeing Steven Gerrard in an LA Galaxy kit but imagining Totti at any other club than Roma is just impossible.
But he did have chances to leave. In an interview with L’Intervista last month, the Italian revealed just how close he came to joining Real Madrid.
“Many years ago I was really close to Real Madrid, I was pondering to leave Roma to go to Madrid," he said, per Goal.
"I was really close. I would never sign for another Italian side out of respect for the people.
"My regrets are not playing with Ronaldo, the Brazilian one, and not winning the Champions League with Roma."
Squad player
The neutral is probably rooting for Roma to win Serie A this season but it’ll be tough to reel in Juventus, who hold a six point lead at the top of the table.
Totti has become a squad player under Luciano Spalletti and was forced to watch most of Tuesday’s action from the sidelines.
One incident from the second leg defeat showed Totti’s frustration. He caught the ball when it ran out of play and, rather ungracefully, threw it back to Lazio’s Wallace.
Lazio's Felipe Anderson responds
Lazio forward Felipe Anderson caught wind of the video on a Lazio fan page’s Instagram account and left a comment calling Totti an “idiot”.
Roma versus Lazio is one of the fiercest rivalries in all of football. And Anderson has done nothing to simmer the flames.