Totti and Del Piero Ballon d’Or adverts. But they wouldn’t be useful to the clubs that made them

Luciano Spalletti has a hard look like a spaghetti western, Francesco Totti looks like spaghetti and that’s it. Urban outskirts, but it seems like the Wild West at high noon. The old lady takes cover, like the pianist would. It blows leaden air. The two look at each other, then Totti says: “Let’s talk now”. They enter the saloon, amidst frightened eyes. They approach the counter, drink a bitter, burst out laughing and make up. Well, the commercial works.

Francesco confirms an innate theatrical talent, refined by years of advertising sets. In 2006 it took him about ten takes to say «Life is now», but it became a catchphrase and to all of us, world champions, it really seemed like life was then. The multilingual Totti who spoke in Milanese with Ilary was irresistible («Did you see that stuff? Ciumbia!») and in Latin to tourists («Ave! Ite, ite…”). For Euro ’21, a beer sent him to Holland to remind Seedorf of the spoon of 2000: laughable. But Ale De Piero’s talent is no different. He has been talking to birds like Saint Francis since 2003. The condominium saga of the Internet connection is reaching the episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful and the former Juventus player has an impressive acting ease. Let’s call him Al(e) Pacino. In comparison, Capello and Bergomi look like Tomba in “Alex the Ram”.

The 10 most popular (with Baggio) in our recent history are Ballon d’Or spots. But we lost them in a television metaverse. Do they really have nothing left to give to real football, to the clubs that made them great and that have often suffered in recent years? Are Totti and Del Piero waiting for the opportunity? But life is now.