Francesco Totti: Roma legend opens up about depression and divorce

Francesco Totti has spoken publicly of the struggles he’s faced after retiring from football and his controversial divorce.

The man is something of a God in Rome, revered by all citizens for the unwavering loyalty he showed his beloved club Roma throughout their 25-year association.

But upon retiring from the game in 2017, he ran into difficulties in his marriage with his then long-term wife Ilary Blasi.

Speaking in an interview with Corriere della Sera, per Marca, the Italian opened up about the rumours that had begun to reach him about his wife’s infidelity.

“It’s not true that I was the first to betray. I said I wasn’t going to talk, and I didn’t, but I’ve read too many hoaxes in the last few weeks. Some of them have even made my children suffer.

“The real crisis broke out between March and April last year. But I had been suffering for a long time.

“I went through a difficult period, first because I stopped playing and then came the death of my father because of COVID. I also suffered from COVID for 15 days.

“However, my wife, when I needed her the most, was not there.

“In September last year, rumours began to reach me: ‘Look, Ilary has someone else’. Indeed, more than one,” he added.

“I had never done it in 20 years, nor had she ever done it with me. But when I received warnings from different people, whom I trust, I became suspicious.

“I looked at her mobile phone. And I saw that there was a third person, who was acting as an intermediary between Ilary and another one.

The discovery understandably hit the former Roma captain hard and even sent him into a spiral of depression.

“There have been rumours in the past, regarding both her and me. But they were really rumours,” Totti said.

“Here was the evidence. The