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27/09/76
PLACE
ROMA (RM)
International Debut 10/01/1998 v Swizerland (won 2-0)
Any attacking player that shines consistently in such a defensive league as Serie A will almost certainly be one of the most talented players in the world. Francesco Totti has already proved he is one of the best second strikers in Italy and the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/JapanTM will give him the perfect platform to prove it to a watching world. Totti began his professional career at 16 when he debuted for AS Roma in March 1993. Though he would play in just ten games the next two seasons, Totti already had invaluable experience that would only help him down the road, and by 1995, he was a regular. His eye for goal did not focus until the 1997-98 season. Totti scored 13 goals that year and showed the rest of the country that he had arrived. Totti is best suited as an attacking midfielder/withdrawn forward. With the national team, he is part of Italy's three-man strike corps, along with Christian Vieri and Alessandro del Piero. But the Roma captain typically stays tucked behind the two, where he is just as lethal as any other striker. At the UEFA European Championship Belgium/The Netherlands 2000, Totti displayed his skills to the rest of Europe. He scored an amazing goal against Romania, scored a crucial penalty kick against Holland and played superbly in the final against France. He played so well, he was named Man of the Match, despite losing to France, 2-1. The next Serie A season, Totti was a vital member of AS Roma's squad. With Argentine superstar Gabriel Batistuta, Totti formed one of the most potent offences in Italy. Roma captured the Serie A title, and along the way, Totti, Roma's captain, collected 13 goals. In Korea/Japan, Totti will be given control of the squad and will be counted on heavily to help Italy capture their fourth world championship. If they do, Italy manager Giovanni Trapattoni feels Totti will be the difference because of his unique talent. ""Every player has some genius, but there's only one Van Gogh, and there is nobody like Totti,"" Trapattoni has said.
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Filippo Inzaghi
Christian Vieri
Fancesco Totti
Marco Delvecchio
Vincenzo Montella