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“C’è solo un capitano” ('There's only one captain!'), dedicated to the one and only Francesco Totti.
The date was Saturday 5 October 2002, in the 90th minute of another thumping victory, this time against Udinese.
Roma at the time were riding as high as high could be - the reigning Serie A champions, they were in the hunt once more for the title and were playing some scintillating football, with the likes of Totti, Gabriel Batistuta and Marcos Cafu putting on exhibitions of football the fans at the Stadio Olimpico perhaps only used to dream of.
As a 4-1 win was being wrapped up, then, from the stands emerged the now-famous chant - “Un capitano, c’è solo un capitano” - for the first time since the era of Agostino Di Bartolomei (another Rome-born, Roma-raised captain).
Totti was the man the fans were serenading, sixty seconds or so after he had scored the beautiful goal that finalised the 4-1 scoreline. It was his second of the game.
It was another beauty from the No. 10, who latched onto the ball from Batistuta and, in the space of the two touches, took the ball away from the surrounding defenders before rifling a perfect strike into the top corner.
Past Morgan De Sanctis the ball went - a perfect mix of technique, power and balance combining to leave the opposition utterly helpless.
“Un capitano, c’è solo un capitano, un capitano, c’è solo un capitano”. Another big moment for both the player and the fans who idolised him.
As a chant, after 'Ago' it had not been revived once - not even for players of the evident greatness of Bruno Conti or Giuseppe Giannini, or world-class players (and loyal club servants) like Aldair.
They had been beloved too, of course, but there was perhaps something poetic about Ago's chant being passed on to Totti.
From the captain of the club's second Scudetto to the man with the armband for its third, with both of them being products of the city and the club they represented - the symmetry was clear.
“C’è solo un capitano."
For the first time. But, as we all know, certainly not the last.
'Un capitano, c'è solo un capitano, un capitano, c'è solo un capitano'
- Roma fans
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