The captain then added: “We need places for sports, culture, nurseries and schools, not more shopping malls. We must revive this city and not destroy it.”

Francesco Totti granted a lengthy interview to Ansa, highlighting the importance of cinema and sports. The former captain of Roma shared some memories linked to his childhood and professional career, recounting his connection with these two worlds. Here, his declarations:

“As a child in Porta Metronia, it wasn’t just soccer that made me dream, but also going to the cinema. In the district, there were many; the Royal, the Paris, the Maestro in San Giovanni – I loved them dearly. I fail to understand how any would consider transforming Rome’s abandoned cinemas into further shopping centers and supermarkets. I heard Carlo Verdone and Enrico Vanzina discussing the concept of “Third places.” Now, I may not be familiar with such spaces in France, but in their words, I perceived again the sense of freedom and light-heartedness I used to feel while hanging out with my friends on the low walls in front of our homes or on the soccer fields we grew up in. We need places for sports, culture, nurseries, and schools, not more shopping malls. There were plenty of laughs when we were in retreat with the team at the Cicerone Hotel and Carletto Mazzone would take us to the Adriano Cinema in the afternoon. We need to resurrect this city, not destroy it. Remembering the moments from our youth and adolescence spent at the cinema is a tradition and a value we must pass on to new generations. The emotions and memories are priceless, they are part of our life.