Inter coach Luciano Spalletti has hit back at Francesco Totti, after the former Roma captain voiced his displeasure at the way the tactician handled him in his final season.
Spalletti led Roma to second place in Serie A last season with a record points tally, before moving to Inter in the summer. However, his spell in the Italian capital was overshadowed by a complicated relationship with the iconic Totti, who subsequently retired at the end of the campaign.
After Totti claimed that Spalletti ought to have communicated with him better in the final season of a 25-year career with Roma, the tactician insisted that the issue was on the part of the current Giallorossi director.
“Totti expressed himself unequivocally and this is a definitive point in our relationship,” the coach claimed in his press conference ahead of Inter’s clash with Genoa. “I have always been open with him and will continue to be, and I am sorry that he feels this way.”
Spalletti then turned his attention towards Eusebio Di Francesco, his replacement on the Stadio Olimpico bench, who recently suggested that teams who struggled to create chances did not deserve to find themselves in a better league position than the Lupi.
Given Inter’s low recent scoring rate, it was widely believed that Di Francesco was referring to the Nerazzurri, who sit a point above Roma in the league table.
However, Spalletti instead pointed to the 16 point gap between the Giallorossi and league leaders Napoli.
“Maybe he is referring to Inter, and it would not be the first time,” Spalletti argued. “I would say that he is right, because Roma ought to be doing better.
“In previous years they were used to fighting for the title and there would only be a difference of a point or two between Napoli. I assume that was what he was referring to.”
