Roma great Francesco Totti has hit out at Gonzalo Higuain’s €90 million move from Napoli to Juventus, claiming modern players do not feel any loyalty toward a club.
Higuain signed a five-year deal with the Serie A champions on Tuesday to end weeks of speculation linking him with the Turin giants, but Totti, famously a one-club man, is not impressed with the former Real Madrid striker’s decision to join Massimiliano Allegri’s side.
“Modern players are a bit like nomads. They are following the money, not their heart. Not many athletes follow their heart. They decide to move elsewhere to win trophies and to earn more money,” Totti told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Football has changed a lot, it is all about money now. Players change teams all the time, to make a bit more money elsewhere. It’s more about money than about passion.
“People go to the stadiums to enjoy themselves and to see players in action who will always be with their team. They expect not to be betrayed.
“Just look at what happened with Higuain, leaving Napoli for Juventus. It’s a disaster.
“But it is apparently quite normal for a foreign player these days to just leave for another team where they can make more money. It’s a mentality problem.
“Not all foreigners are like [Diego] Maradona,” he added, referring to Higuain’s fellow Argentine, who remains a firm favourite in Naples after guiding Napoli, his only Italian club, to two Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990.
Juventus have already lured Totti’s former team-mate Miralem Pjanic to Turin from Roma.
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