QUOTE
Platini: Shut up, Totti!
The war of words around Francesco Totti’s Italy sabbatical continues with Michel Platini insisting he should just “shut up and play.â€
The Roma captain has caused controversy with his decision to abandon international football after winning the 2006 World Cup, supposedly due to fitness concerns.
Yet despite having a metal plaque in his ankle, he has become Serie A’s top scorer with 26 goals and leader in the race for the Golden Shoe for European hitmen.
“The decision is up to Roberto Donadoni,†said UEFA President Platini. “I can be certain that if I were the Coach, I would have called Totti and told him to shut up and play.â€
The Italian Federation has always tried to calm the situation by reassuring that Donadoni and Totti agreed to this sabbatical until the player felt he had totally recovered from his fractured ankle.
“Giving up your own national team is a proposal I would never have made as a Coach and as a player would not have even taken into consideration,†added Le Roi.
“Totti is 30 now and perhaps he cannot play every game, but it is the Coach who makes that decision.
"In France if someone is called and does not attend, he is suspended. It is written in the FIFA contract that an international call is obligatory."
As Totti has not technically refused an international call-up, UEFA and the FIGC cannot impose sanctions.
However, if Donadoni chose to disregard their conversation and make the call public, the issue would get extremely tense.
“My choice has always depended on physical problems, not from my desire to spend more time with my family,†assured Totti in ‘Chi’ magazine.
“It’s not easy to stay away from home for long periods of time, but it is a necessary evil in our line of work.â€
Totti has said he will return to the Azzurri for the “important games†in September against France and Ukraine.
“We will clarify the Totti case after the match with Lithuania,†added FIGC President Giancarlo Abete. “We’ll find a solution so we don’t arrive at the last minute with everything up in the air.â€
(IMG:
http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)