deCoubertin Books are pleased to announce publication of the autobiography of Italian football legend, Francesco Totti on 23 September.
For 25 years Francesco Totti was the uncrowned king of Rome, donning the famous carmine red jersey of the Italian capital’s eponymous football club more times than any other player and scoring more Serie A goals than any other footballer in history, bar one. Captain of AS Roma for twenty years he won every domestic honour as well as the 2006 World Cup with Italy.
Published in English as Gladiator, Totti’s autobiography is a collaboration with Italy’s foremost sportswriter, Paolo Condo, and translated by Anthony Wright. The book was one of Italy’s bestselling books in 2018 and the accompanying documentary, My Name is Francesco Totti, won an Italian academy award for Best Documentary.
“I’m beyond thrilled to have worked with Francesco and Paolo on their wonderful book and to be able to introduce it to an English audience,” said deCoubertin founder, James Corbett.
“It is one of the best footballer memoirs I’ve ever read, never mind worked on – full of heart and great stories – and is as much about being the physical embodiment of one of the world’s great cities as it is about being a footballing superstar.
“In a difficult year, the chance to work with a legend of the game and with such brilliant material, as well as the kindness and support of the authors and the team at their Italian publishers Rizzoli, has been a much needed antidote to the real world struggles. I hope it gets the success it merits.”
Gladiator is published on 23 September as a trade paperback, priced £14.99.