Francesco Totti is taking on a corporate role in Italian basketball, agreeing to a three-year contract as an advisor to the ownership and delegate for the development of the fan base and Corporate Social Responsibility for Maxima Roma. The former Roma captain will oversee fan base development and corporate social responsibility for the capital’s new Serie A basketball club, which is set to play its home matches at the palazzo dell’Eur in Rome.
Stepping Beyond Football Into Basketball Operations
The appointment marks a pivot for Totti, whose professional life has been synonymous with AS Roma for three decades. In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Totti revealed that the opportunity originated from a phone call initiated by his agent, who connected him with Maxima Roma club president Paul Matiasic. Though initially skeptical about entering a different sporting ecosystem, Totti said a subsequent meeting with Matiasic convinced him to commit to the project.
“I received a telephone call from my agent,” Totti recounted to La Gazzetta dello Sport. “He had been contacted by Matiasic, who explained a bit of what I would have to do and my role… For me basketball was another sport, another world. But everything intrigued me, so it was a duty to meet him. I found a person with the right ways and times, so after the chat I understood that his ideas were not bad at all. And in the end I said yes.”
Bridging Sports Culture and Entertainment
Totti’s mandate with Maxima Roma extends beyond honorary duties. The club’s leadership aims to import high-energy American entertainment models to domestic Italian basketball, a vision that aligns with Totti’s own experiences attending NBA games in the United States. Recalling a trip to New York City with his son to watch the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, Totti noted the contrast between traditional matches and stateside spectacles. “It was everything except a match, a show, beautiful,” Totti told La Gazzetta dello Sport, adding that the club intends to bring a similar atmosphere to the Palaeur.
When discussing his basketball influences, Totti pointed to iconic figures of the sport—Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant—comparing their cultural footprints directly to football legends like Diego Maradona or tennis stars like Roger Federer. His reverence for Maradona also sparked reflections on crossover athletic feats, noting that while the late Argentine icon famously once stepped onto a basketball parquet during a mixed exhibition in Naples, Totti himself intends to stick primarily to his operational and advisory duties, though he joked that a casual appearance on the court might happen purely for fun.
Locker Room Dynamics and Fan Base Growth
Despite his title as a corporate social responsibility delegate and owner’s advisor, Totti plans to maintain an active presence around the team, traveling to select away fixtures and embedding himself within the squad’s daily environment. Drawing on his extensive tenure as a high-level football captain, he believes his familiarity with team psychology will benefit the organization.
“Even though football and basketball are two different sports, it’s normal that after having lived 30 years of high-level football I understand the dynamics of the locker room,” Totti told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “It is always a group and it will be a pleasure for me to share the locker room and experience certain moments… But I can give some advice to someone…”
Addressing potential cross-town sporting friction with pre-existing local outfits like BC Roma, Totti advocated for mutual respect and equilibrium while playfully hinting at the drawing power of his personal following among the city’s sports supporters.
What Comes Next
Maxima Roma continues preparations for their upcoming Serie A campaign at the Palaeur, where club officials and Totti will finalize promotional and community outreach initiatives ahead of the season tip-off. Fans and media can monitor official club channels for upcoming roster announcements and ticket availability as the club establishes its operational footprint in the capital.
