Newcastle United’s reported managerial target Luciano Spalletti has been labelled a ‘genius’ by his former Roma favourite Simone Perrotta, while speaking to Sky Sports.
When one of Europe’s shrewdest tacticians was handed the reigns at Roma for the first time in the summer of 2005, it did not take long for Spalletti to transform the already legendary Francesco Totti into an entirely different beast.
The Giallorossi hero had blossomed into one of the most influential play-makers in world football under the likes of Fabio Capello and Zdenek Zeman at the Stadio Olimpico. But it was Spalletti who coaxed the very best out of arguably the most talented Italian footballer of his generation.
Totti was transformed from a number ten into something akin to the modern day ‘false nine’ – and with a career-best 32 goals in the 2006/07 season, it is fair to say the risk reaped plenty of rewards for a Roma side who lifted the Coppa Italia title for the first time in 16 years that very same campaign.
“I remember perfectly when (Spalletti) explained the change of formation to me,” remembers 2006 World Cup winner Perrotta. “As soon as he said that I would be playing in midfield I asked : ‘What about Francesco?’
“He told me that Totti would play as a striker and I would play behind him. I was not very convinced, but Spalletti was right. It was genius.”
According to Calciomercato, the now-unattached 61-year-old is one of the names on the radar of a Newcastle United side who, if that Saudi takeover goes through, will soon become one of the richest clubs on planet earth.
Spalletti, despite his proven track record at Roma, Zenit and Inter Milan, might not have the stature or the reputation of a Mauricio Pochettino or a Max Allegri.
Yet as Perrotta points out, he is capable of the odd stroke of ‘genius’.
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