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Time for Totti to deliver.

When Pelé described Francesco Totti as the best player on the planet, his comments raised more than a few eyebrows. The AS Roma captain's ability is widely recognised on home soil, but he has so far failed to live up to his reputation on the international stage. "He has just been a little unlucky in the past but he is the best player in the world," the Brazilian legend said. In that context, the dismay of Italian fans was understandable when Totti broke his left leg and strained ankle ligaments on 19 February, putting his participation at the FIFA World Cup in jeopardy and Italy's hopes in doubt.

National treasure
The news monopolised the media in "Il Belpaese". Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's Prime Minister at the time, visited Totti in hospital to wish him a speedy recovery. Totti is a national treasure and the possibility of not seeing him in the Azzurri shirt in Germany was too hard to bear. Totti, though, answered his supporters' prayers. The Roma captain demonstrated the bravery of the Roman soldier he tattooed on his right shoulder after winning the Scudetto with Roma in 2001, embarking on a rigorous rehabilitation programme designed to get him fit in time for Germany.

'Character'
"A lot of people said I wouldn't make it," Totti said. "I wanted to show the type of character Romans have. I worked hard and here I am. While I was recovering from my injury I was even talking to myself at night. I thought I was becoming crazy but I was trying everything not to give up and I managed to achieve what I wanted. Two months ago I said the most important thing was to travel to Germany with the team. Now my priority has changed. Now the real goal is winning the World Cup."

'Never a break'
Totti has something to prove after being sent off for diving as Italy crashed out of the 2002 FIFA World Cup and after being suspended for three games at UEFA EURO 2004™ for spitting at an opponent. The 29-year-old forward would also like to improve on a return of eight goals in 51 appearances with the Azzurri shirt, and is eager to show he has finally matured, especially since getting married and having his first son, Cristian, in November. Germany is also likely to be his last chance to show the world how good he really is. "I could play another European Championship and another World Cup," he said. "But I want to dedicate myself to my family, be with my son, and think about Roma. There are too many training camps, too much stress. From July to July there's never a break."

'More mature'
Totti is famous in Italy for his charity work. He is a goodwill ambassador for Unicef and was happy to send himself up in a series of books to raise money to help the elderly in Rome and homeless children in the Democratic Republic of Congo. His command of the Italian language may not be as good as his command of the ball, but Totti has a big heart. That is what makes it so difficult to understand his behaviour in Portugal when he was suspended for spitting at Denmark midfielder Christian Poulsen. "I talked to him about that episode and I'm sure he understood that a champion like him cannot afford to act like that," Italy coch Marcello Lippi said. "I think he is more mature now, especially since becoming a father."

'Optimistic'
Totti played the full 90 minutes in a recent friendly game against Switzerland and was a second-half substitute four days later against Ukraine, admitting afterwards he is still only 60 per cent fit. "I'm optimistic regarding his condition," Lippi said. "But now comes the tough part. He's going to go up against opponents that won't have much regard for him. I think he is a great champion, a player like Ronaldinho, [Thierry] Henry or [Lionel] Messi, and obviously we will do everything to have him at his best. He has several steps in the right direction and I'm sure he'll make several others before our debut against Ghana."

'The best'
Lippi's preferred lineup is a 4-3-1-2, with Totti centred behind forwards Alberto Gilardino and Luca Toni. "With Totti behind us, it's something different," Toni told uefa.com. "He is the best, or at least among the best in the world in his role. He scores and puts strikers in position to score. He can be crucial for us." Should he lead Italy to success 24 years after their last triumph, Totti will certainly have gone a long way to convincing people that Pelé was right after all.

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posted by Les Sheppard @ 12:03 PM