As the story spread in Turkey, Fenerbahce issued a strongly worded denial: "The report published today (9 November 2026) by the newspaper Sözcü under the headline "Fenerbahçe's football mind", and subsequently picked up and circulated by other media outlets, claiming that Francesco Totti would take up a role in our club's sporting management structure, is completely unfounded. We urge media outlets that spread false reports without first checking and confirming them to respect the principles of journalism and act responsibly".