Totti looking to overshadow Zidane return
Francesco Totti has a chance to prove his credentials as a candidate for European Player of the Year when his AS Roma meet Real Madrid in Champions League Group A on Wednesday.
Francesco Totti has a chance to prove his credentials as a candidate for European Player of the Year when his AS Roma meet Real Madrid in Champions League Group A on Wednesday.
The Italy international playmaker has been tipped for the award by his club coach Fabio Capello and a number of pundits after showing some outstanding form for club and country this season.
Amid a stream of eulogies, Italy coach Giovanni Trapattoni even compared the 25-year-old to Portuguese legend Eusebio, but fans at the Bernebeu stadium will get a chance to compare Totti with the man widely considered the best attacking midfielder in the modern game - Real's Zinedine Zidane.
Zidane, who moved to Spain in July after five seasons in Serie A with Juventus, is finally available for the Champions League having served a five-match European suspension incurred last season.
Real have already booked a place in the second phase of the competition but Roma need the points to ensure they finish ahead of Anderlecht and extend their first season in Europe's elite competition since the Champions League format was introduced.
Totti admits that lining up against Zidane, a player with whom he is frequently compared, is an additional motivation for Wednesday's clash of the Italian and Spanish champions.
"He is a truly great player and he has always played with great teams where he has got used to winning. He has won so much and I would like to win as much as he has, even if I am just starting," said the Roma captain.
Totti claimed his first major honour when Roma won the Italian title last season - pipping Zidane's Juventus on the final day.
"Zidane and (Barcelona's) Rivaldo are among the best players around and for me to line up against players like them is an extra stimulus," said Totti.
After a sluggish start to the season, Roma showed they are back to their best on Sunday with an impressive 5-1 rout of Lecce in which Totti, as so often, was the main inspiration with two goals and a series of defence-splitting passes.
Totti believes Roma are hitting form just in time to gain revenge for the 2-1 home defeat to Real in September and is hoping to celebrate qualification in Spain rather than wait for next week's match with Anderlecht.
"We are going to try and win in Madrid and to impose our game plan on the match. There are still two games to go but we are close to qualifying and we would like to close the discussion this week and avenge that defeat at the Olympic stadium," said Totti.