Prandelli offers Totti goodbye friendly
Reuters - Friday 08 October 2010, 14:23
MILAN - Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has
offered former Azzurri striker Francesco Totti the chance to
play in a friendly to say a proper goodbye to the national team.
Totti, 34, quit international football with 58 caps after
Italy's 2006 World Cup win but opened the door for a return in
June's tournament only for injury worries to rule him out.
Prandelli, who has indicated that he will not consider the
forward for competitive games, envisages a friendly where Totti
can team up again with former AS Roma team mate and fellow
prankster Antonio Cassano.
"It would be a good signal for children. It would show them
that friendship and enthusiasm exist in football," Prandelli
told Rai TV on Friday ahead of Italy's Euro qualifier in
Northern Ireland.
"I don't know if we could do it in November. I'm not
thinking about it at the moment."
The Italian football federation said in a statement the
November friendly would be against Romania in the Austrian city
of Klagenfurt, the latest in a string of Italy friendlies to be
played outside the country for commercial reasons.
Former Italy and AC Milan captain Paolo Maldini turned down
the offer of a final Azzurri friendly before he retired two seasons ago.