Francesco Totti Recalls Fan Volunteering to Stay in Prison in Order to Meet Him

Roma icon Francesco Totti has said a fan once offered to stay in prison longer just so he could meet the Giallorossi legend.

While promoting his new autobiography Un Capitano on Italian TV channel Rai, the former Italy international explained the story of the inmate, which is included in the book.

Roma's website posted some of Totti's quotes from the interview (h/t the Daily Mail's Jack Stewart):

"We went to visit the prison and take a tour of the cells, where everyone was detained. Everyone was very happy because for them to see a player inside was like seeing the Pope."

"There was this lad there that kept shouting, 'Me! Me! Me!' and wanted, at absolutely all costs, to take a photo with me. No one would let him through, but he started to push his way forward and try and get closer to me to take a photo. I did not really understand why he was so determined."

Claudio Villa/Getty Images

The fan wrote a letter to the prison warden asking him to remain after his planned release in order to be present for Totti's visit.

As presented in the book, the prisoner's letter read: "Even if I lived for another 100 years, I'll never again have a chance like this to have my photo taken alongside Totti."

Totti was a legend at Roma during his 25 years with the Serie A giants, leading the club to the domestic league championship in 2000-01 and winning the FIFA World Cup with Italy in 2006.

Per Joe Wright of Goal, the 41-year-old scored 307 goals for the capital city team before his retirement in 2017.