Real Sociedad and Roma are two special clubs, in which the feeling component is essential. The contenders in this Europa League tie are not the most successful in their leagues, but they are teams admired by all for their philosophy and the loyalty of their fans, which are unique. Furthermore, each side has its legends, its ‘one club man’. Francesco Tottiidol of a whole generation of football fans of this century, and Xabi Prieto They perfectly represent the emotion of wearing a T-shirt. They did not need to wear another outfit because what made them feel full was putting on their soul team.
“For me he has been a reference, a player with whom I have enjoyed a lota legend without comparison”, says Prieto in MD about Totti, the great idol of the ‘giallorossa’ fans.
Totti, a soccer god
Totti has no comparison with anyone. He is the ‘one club man’ par excellence: 785 official matches played in Roma, from 1993 to 2017, 307 goals, 84 assists, one ‘scudetto’ in 2001, two cups, one World Cup with Italy (2006), Golden Boot in 2007… A superclass that got fed up with saying ‘no’ to the best teams in Europe: Real Madrid of the ‘galactics’, the greats of the Premier League, the best in their country…
“Last year I was lucky enough to meet him in person at a paddle tennis tournament and for me it was a very cool moment,” he says tight about the Roman legend. Seven years and a few games and titles separate them, but these two idols share something great: occupying a place in the Olympus of Gods of their hobbies.
It was Real’s ’10’ who, in his farewell after 531 games and 73 goals with the elastic txuri urdin, said that “my dream was not to be a footballer, but to play for Real and I feel happy about it” . But Totti definitely conquered the ‘coure’ of the Romanists with other phrases such as: “When a successful team calls you, perhaps the strongest in the world, you start to think about what life would be like there, but the talk I had with my family reminded me of What’s life about: your home is everything”. And another, immortal, is: “People ask me: ‘Why spend your whole life in Rome?’ Rome is my family, my friends, the people I love. Rome is the sea, the mountains, the monuments. Rome we are the Romans. Rome is red and yellow. Rome, for me, is the world”. A declaration of love to a similar team is not known, except that of Prieto.
The great captain of Real sees the tie as “very even”, although he admits that “I haven’t seen Roma much either”. However, he maintains that “seeing how it goes in series A and the players it has, I would say it is 50/50”.
Prieto trusts his own
Prieto goes, as always, to the death with his team: “I have great faith in Real and before each game I have the feeling that they can beat anyone, which is why I am optimistic,” he told MD.
Real’s ’10’ does not want to attach much importance to the current state of doubts and worse results for the txuri urdin: “Hopefully we can see the best version of the team” in this tie, says the man from San Sebastian. “It is normal that throughout such a demanding season there are moments in which the results and the game are not as we all want, but I think it is a very nice challenge and the team is going to give their souls to go to the quarterfinals”. tight dixit.
