Mario Balotelli was 'arrogant and presumptuous' - Roma legend Francesco Totti explains why he kicked ex-Man City & Inter striker in famous red card incident

Totti has revealed that his infamous kick on Balotelli during the 2010 Coppa Italia final was a premeditated act born from long-standing frustration with the striker's attitude. In a remarkably candid interview with former Italy teammate Luca Toni on Amazon Prime's 'Fenomeni' podcast, the World Cup winner opened up on the most controversial moments of his career, his bitter fallout with Luciano Spalletti, and the emotional turmoil of his forced retirement.

The most striking revelation centred on the final minutes of the 2010 final between Roma and Inter, which saw Totti shown a straight red card for a wild, cynical kick on a young Balotelli. The Roma captain came off the bench for the second half and was dismissed in the 87th minute as his side lost 1-0. He has now admitted the challenge was not a moment of spontaneous madness, but a calculated decision to lash out at a player whose on-field persona he disliked.

“The Balotelli thing had been brewing for a while," Totti confessed. "He was young and phenomenal, but also so arrogant and presumptuous. My goal that day wasn't to equalise the game; I just thought that if I had the opportunity, I'd take the opportunity to send him into the stands. Then I heard from him and apologised, and we laughed it off.”

Balotelli himself, speaking on a separate occasion, had a different theory, suggesting Totti's anger was misdirected. "I don't think he was angry with me for that reason. In the final of the Coppa Italia, he got angry with the coach who had not let him play from the beginning and that's why he was nervous," Balotelli said.

Totti also addressed the complete breakdown of his relationship with coach Spalletti during the manager's second spell at the Stadio Olimpico. He claimed Spalletti returned in 2016 with a clear agenda, supported by the club's hierarchy, to push him into retirement.

“In my view, Spalletti arrived in 2016 with the express idea of making me retire, backed by the club. There were always problems with him; towards me, Spalletti was the exact opposite of the one he had been in 2005," Totti stated. "Perhaps he was convinced that I had pushed him away by taking Ranieri in his place, but that's not true: the management called me and other players to ask us who we wanted between Mancini, Ranieri, and others."

The Giallorossi icon detailed the immense pain of being told his 25-year career at his boyhood club was over, claiming he felt more let down by the club than by Spalletti at that moment. The emotional farewell at the Stadio Olimpico in May 2017 was a traumatic experience that left him feeling lost.

"When I left, it was the club who told me I had to stop," he revealed. "I'm not stupid; I knew I'd have to stop sooner or later, but I still felt good in my legs and head. Perhaps on that occasion, Roma disappointed me more than Spalletti; I think I was a nuisance. I said I'd play even for free; I'd give everything for Roma. When I stopped playing, I felt like I had no ground under my feet. For three weeks, I cried every day. I was scared... That day, for me, was like a separation between mother and son."

The interview also saw Totti confront other dark moments from his career. He expressed deep shame over spitting at Denmark's Christian Poulsen during Euro 2004, an incident for which he received a significant ban.

“To this day, I don’t realise I spat at him. I'm ashamed of it; it's an ugly gesture that, as a footballer, I wouldn't have accepted, because it's unworthy,” he confessed. He also provided context for a lesser-known incident where he punched defender Francesco Colonnese, explaining: "He told me Cristian wasn't my son, and I couldn't stand it anymore."

Throughout the revelations, Totti’s unwavering loyalty to Roma remained the central theme. He reaffirmed his decision to reject lucrative offers throughout his career, including a major proposal from Real Madrid, to stay with the club he joined as a boy.

"I could never have accepted wearing another jersey, I have no regrets. My choice has always been Roma or Rome," he asserted. "From the very beginning, I thought: I was born here and I will die here. It will be difficult to find another man who will do what I did with my people and my jersey." This commitment encapsulates the legacy of a one-club man whose turbulent and brilliant career continues to fascinate long after his emotional farewell.