Totti calls it quits

Francesco Totti announced earlier today that he will no longer play for the Azzurri again. The World Cup winner, refused to play for Roberto Donadoni's Azzurri after Marcello Lippi had stepped down from the post, after his success in Germany. Totti claimed that he would put his beloved Roma first above the National team and he also said he needed time to recover from his injury that he suffered just before the World Cup.

His retirement doesn't come as a shock; after months of speculation on whether or not he will return, his "feuds" with Coach Roberto Donadoni and FIGC officials saw everyone starting to believe that Er Pupone would never bless the Azzurri shirt again.

His fiery attitude saw him land in many situations, his spitting at Christian Poulsen in the Euro 2004 is on the most notable. He received a ban until the semi-finals but Italy failed to reach it that far.

But as much as Totti has his errors he has also graced the azzurri with goals, his most important goal probably coming in the 2006 World Cup game against Australia. He converted a 90th minute penalty to send Italy through to the quarter finals after they had been reduced to 10 men.

Francesco Totti is without a doubt a legend in Italian football and he will forever be remember by all, be it the Italian fans or the Australians that are still haunted by Totti's penalty everyone has some kind of memory of Totti and his unique celebrations in the Azzurri shirt.

Picture of Totti's career for la Nazionale: