Cameo role the ideal solution for Totti

By Brian Homewood (Reuters) - AS Roma appear to have solved the dilemma surrounding Francesco Totti by giving the 39-year-old stalwart a cameo role. Both Totti, in his 24th season at his only professional club, and coach Luciano Spalletti are delighted with the new setup, so much so that Totti is expected to sign a new contract in the next few days. "I'll be delighted if Francesco carries on playing. If he does what he wants to do, I'm right behind him. If he wants to keep on playing, I'm with him,” said Spalletti. Some critics have even suggested Italy should call up Totti and give him a similar role at Euro 2016. Totti, who has played under 16 different coaches at the club, will reach another milestone if he plays at home to Chievo Verona on Sunday when he will chalk up his 600th league appearance for Roma, who are third. Yet, when Spalletti took over for his second stint at the club in January, Totti, who was returning from injury at the time, was something of a headache. As Roma reeled off eight league wins in a row, Spalletti preferred not to change his side by re-introducing Totti, who publicly complained about his lack of playing time. This led to a debate about whether Totti deserved special treatment, or whether he was becoming bigger than the club itself. Fans generally sided with Totti, greeting him with cheers at home matches and whistling Spalletti. But a loss of form prompted Spalletti to look for alternatives, and one of them was to bring on Totti in the second half, starting with the 1-1 draw at Bologna on April 11. Totti, whose only previous goal this season was in September, has scored four goals in his last four matches, even though he has played a total of only 56 minutes. Including a late assist against Napoli, Totti's late interventions have been worth eight points for Roma, a priceless contribution as they chase for a place in the lucrative Champions League. Roma are already guaranteed at least a third-place finish, and a spot in the Champions League qualifying round next season. They are two points behind second-placed Napoli, who visit Torino on Sunday (1845 GMT). "Totti played a big part," said Spalletti. "He's been doing that for us recently and that's how it should be. He's capable of stuff like that." (Writing by Brian Homewood in Berne, editing by Pritha Sarkar)