DUBAI // Italy and Roma legend Francesco Totti will put concerns about his future with the Serie A club on the back burner as he lines-up alongside his clubmates against Cairo giants Al Ahly, the African Club of the Century, at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain on Friday.
Mohamed Salah, Roma’s Egyptian winger, will be playing alongside Totti in a star-studded Roma line-up, while Ahly will be led by Hossam Ghaly, a player that his coach, the former Tottenham Hotspur manager Martin Jol, described as the “most influential football player in North Africa”.
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“We have a great group of players here with us and we hope to give all of them a chance to play a part in making this a great match,” said Jol, whose team is cruising towards their 38th Egyptian league title. “We have a very busy schedule back home. We played on Tuesday and will be playing again on Wednesday, but we are still here because this is a great opportunity for our players to play against a top club like Roma. It will not be easy for us because of the schedule, but we are really positive and really excited.
“We have a lot of fans here and that was another incentive for us to come here with all our players.”
Totti, 39, is a Roma legend, having spent his entire professional career at the club. Making his debut in 1992, he has made 601 appearances for the club, but Totti has started few matches for the club in 2016 since returning from a hip injury that ruled him out for three months.
In February, Totti publicly criticised his newly installed Roma manager Luciano Spalletti for his lack of playing-time and has yet to sign a one-year extension offered to him by the club.
“For now we’re waiting,” Totti told the Italian media at Rome airport minutes before the team flew out to the UAE. “I’m glad it’s been clarified that it’s not a money problem. Is it a problem with my future role? No comment.”
When asked about his relationship with Totti, Spalletti brushed aside any concerns saying: “My relationship with Totti is perfect because every time he comes onto the pitch, there is a goal.”
The match is scheduled for an 8pm kick off.
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