ON THE WEEKEND of 27th February 1993, two very minor football incidents took place. Firstly, in the inaugural Premier League season, Manchester City went to the City Ground and beat Nottingham Forest 0-2 with goals from David White and Garry Flitcroft.
The following day, about a thousand miles away at the Stadio Mario Rigamonti in Brescia, Roma were beating the home side 0-2 in a Serie A clash when a blonde-haired 16 year-old was introduced with three minutes remaining. His name was Francesco Totti.
More than 700 appearances and 235 league goals later, the playmaker is still part of the conversation and later tonight, he’s expected to feature for Roma as they take on City in the Champions League group-stage.
But, it’s worth reminding ourselves what City were and where they were when Totti made his first tentative steps in Roma colours.
Here’s their team that beat Forest on that day 21 and a half years ago:
Manchester City: Tony Coton, Ray Ranson, Terry Phelan, Fitzroy Simpson, Andy Hill, Michel Vonk, David White, Mike Sheron, Niall Quinn, Garry Flitcroft, Rick Holden.”
City finished the campaign in 9th place under Peter Reid’s management. But in August ’93, just 13 days into the new season, Reid was sacked with Brian Horton arriving as a permanent replacement but he failed to push the team any higher than 16th in his two seasons in charge. In May ’96, not even the mesmerising movement and fancy footwork of Georgi Kinkladze could prevent City suffering relegation to the First Division.
Over the subsequent eighteen years, Totti has won a World Cup, a Scudetto, two Coppa Italia titles and two Italian Super Cups. He’s finished as a Serie A runner-up seven times, been a Coppa Italia finalist seven times and was a beaten-finalist at Euro 2000. He’s been crowned Italy’s Footballer of the Year five times, Serie A top-scorer once and Ballon d’Or winner…never.
It’s been quite the journey for him and his opponents this evening.
