Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 25, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 24, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleFrancesco Totti is considering canceling his Moscow trip amid criticism. The visit is seen as a publicity stunt for Russia, and Totti is open to canceling if advised.
ROME (Reuters) - Former Italy and AS Roma striker Francesco Totti said on Tuesday he was ready to cancel a trip to Moscow next month that has been criticised as a publicity stunt for President Vladimir Putin's Russia.
Totti, who retired in 2017 but remains hugely popular in Italy and beyond, is scheduled to attend as a guest of honour a gala event hosted by Bookmaker Ratings, a Russian online platform for sports betting.
His April 8 appearance has been promoted in Moscow with huge digital billboards showing the player wearing his trademark number 10 shirt and the caption "The Emperor is going to the third Rome".
The "Third Rome" refers to the historic idea, beloved by nationalists and religious conservatives, that Moscow and Russia, coming after Rome and Constantinople, are heirs to the Roman Empire and defenders of Christendom.
"My business trip to Moscow has for days stirred endless polemics. But I am not a politician nor a diplomat, I am a man of sport who promotes its values around the world," Totti said in a statement to Italian news agency ANSA.
"Having said this, if I were to receive a request from a competent body not to participate in the Moscow event, I would not hesitate for a moment to take a step back," the 48-year-old added.
Italy's conservative government, which has supported Ukraine against Russian aggression but is now hedging its position over U.S. efforts to end the war, has not commented on Totti's trip, while opposition politicians have asked him not to go.
(Reporting by Alvise Armellini; Editing by Toby Davis)
The main topic is Francesco Totti's planned trip to Moscow, which has been criticized as a publicity stunt for Russia.
The trip is seen as a publicity stunt for Russia amid tensions with Ukraine, drawing criticism from various quarters.
Italy's conservative government has not commented on Totti's trip, though opposition politicians have urged him not to go.
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