They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but getting a giant tattoo of your favourite footballer on your back can’t be far off.
And that’s exactly what Thomas Jonsson of Sweden, an ardent Roma supporter
ince the age of six, has done for Francesco Totti.
The 39-year-old Giallorossi legend features in a bold design which has him
elebrating a goal in front of Rome’s iconic Colosseum.
Totti, who saw Jonsson’s tattoo after he posted a picture of it online, invited him to visit Roma’s training ground in Trigoria for a special meeting.
‘He seems to like my tattoo,’ Jonsson told Roma’s official website, ‘To meet Totti was just amazing. He has a great sense of humour – he also asked when I was going to do a chest tattoo!’
Johnson explained: ‘It’s a celebration of our captain and our leader, his loyalty and just being the King of Rome.’
Jonsson’s tattoo has so far taken nine hours of inking to create, with one sitting left before it is completely finished.
Totti, who has been at Roma for the entirety of his professional career, is out of contract in the summer, but general manager Mauro Baldissoni is reported to have returned from a trip to Boston to meet club president James Pallotta with permission to offer the veteran striker an extension.
A new deal had looked unlikely at the turn of the year, when the former Italy international had complained about a lack of first-team opportunities under head coach Luciano Spalletti.
However, Totti has made a major contribution to Roma’s results in recent weeks, scoring three goals in four substitute appearances and appears to have played his way to a new one-year deal.
Since his professional debut in 1993, Totti has gone on to make over 750 appearances for La Maggica, winning five major honours, including the Serie A title in 2001.
COMMENTS