Totti on what Del Piero said before 2006 Italy World Cup Final and their fake rivalry

Francesco Totti insists he was ‘never’ a rival of Alessandro Del Piero even if ‘somebody’ wanted it and reveals what the ex-Juventus star told his Italy teammates the night before the 2006 World Cup Final.

Legendary Italian striker Del Piero turns 50 today, and his former Azzurri teammate Totti celebrated his friend during an interview with La Repubblica.

Some Italian media described Del Piero and Totti as rivals in the 1990s, but the Roma legend insists that was not the case.

“Perhaps at the beginning, but he was right when he said we were partners more than rivals,” noted Totti.

Totti on what Del Piero said before 2006 Italy World Cup Final and their fake rivalry

“Somebody wanted us to be rivals; he represented Juventus, I was his Roma counterpart, and somebody has never liked Roma. However, I was never tricked. On the contrary, we respected each other because we understood our roles. The responsibility of representing something went beyond any single team.”

Totti made senior Italy debut as a substitute in 1998, replacing Del Piero in a 2-0 win over Switzerland.

“I replaced him, and when he came out, he winked at me. I think the chemistry started at that moment,” Totti recalled.

The pair also won the 2006 World Cup together.

“Nobody could sleep on the night before the final [against France],” said Totti.

“At some point around two in the morning, he said: ‘Well guys, I’m accustomed to finals, I’m going to bed.’ We told him any thing. But this is who Del Piero is, a splendid fifty-year-old.”