Totti’s Son Wins Scoring Title at Youth Tournament

I sometimes wonder if our name, Chiesa di Totti, will lose some cache once our namesake, Francesco Totti, decides to officially retire. Odds are it won’t, simply because he’s such a legendary figure in world football and, duh, a club icon through and through. But what if there were someone capable of carrying on that great mantle once Er Pupone finally hangs ‘em up?

While I won’t for a single second pretend to know what the Torneo Memorial Mariotti is—presumably it’s a youth tournament of some prestige—it was noteworthy for one very special reason. No, Roma’s U-12s didn’t win the tourney, that honor went to AC Milan’s rugrats, but the leading scorer was none other than Cristian Totti. Yes, that Cristian Totti, oldest child of our dear Francesco.

The history of sports aren’t exactly replete with sons equalling or exceeding the feats of their famous fathers, but there are certainly enough examples (Paolo Maldini, Gonzalo Higuain, Cal Ripken Jr and pretty much ever Unser or Andretti to ever sit behind a steering wheel) to give you hope.

If ever there were a kid with an enormous legacy to live up to, surely it’s Tiny Totti, and yes, he may very well mature and realize being a professional footballer is the last thing on earth he wants to do, but this is as good a start as any.