The former AS Roma football captain, whose iconic career defined Italian sport for a generation, enters the professional basketball landscape to help build a long-term, sustainable institution aimed at restoring Rome to the highest levels of Italian and European competition, starting in the LBA Serie A and the EuroCup.
The Genesis of Maxima Roma and Totti’s New Role
Maxima Roma was established in June 2026 through the acquisition and transfer of the sporting license of Pallacalcio Brescia by American entrepreneur Paul Matiasic. Rather than treating Totti’s arrival as a ceremonial appointment, club leadership emphasized that his role will carry substantial operational weight. According to club statements, Totti will focus heavily on growing the club’s supporter community and overseeing corporate social responsibility initiatives designed to engage youth across the capital.
“I wanted new stimuli and felt the desire to put myself on the line by accepting a new challenge,” Totti stated in the club’s official announcement. “The role and, above all, the project that were proposed to me convinced me right away. I am very happy to be an active part of this project and I thank the club for the trust it has decided to grant me.”
Strategic Objectives and European Ambitions
The immediate sporting goal for Maxima Roma centers on constructing a competitive roster capable of establishing an elite presence within the top tier of Italian professional basketball. Beyond domestic play, club executives have mapped out a deliberate trajectory toward continental competition, targeting the EuroCup as a foundational step toward broader European ambitions.
Club president Paul Matiasic underscored the significance of aligning the new basketball venture with a figure universally recognized across the city’s sporting landscape. “Having a figure of Francesco’s caliber by our side further reinforces an already ambitious project,” Matiasic said. “His role will not be purely symbolic. The presence of Francesco within the club represents a concrete commitment by someone who wants to help us build something meaningful.”
Bridging Calcio and Basketball in the Capital
“The first objective will be to build a solid group, strengthen the team, and create all the conditions to become an excellence of the Italian championship,” Totti noted. “Then we will look to Europe and beyond. Ambition is important, but even more so is the desire to build something that can last over time: we want to give Rome and the Romans a basketball team to support, to recognize themselves in, and to be proud of.”

What Comes Next for the Project
As Maxima Roma prepares for upcoming Lega Basket Serie A fixtures following its summer establishment, the club will roll out its initial fan engagement initiatives under Totti’s supervision.
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