Francesco Totti Recalls His Terrifying Battle With COVID-19 in New Autobiography
Francesco Totti has opened up about one of the most frightening periods of his life, revealing that he feared he might not survive COVID-19. In his new autobiography, Oltre, the former Roma captain describes becoming seriously ill in autumn 2020, just days after the death of his father, Enzo. The experience left him physically weakened and emotionally overwhelmed—and prompted a desperate conversation with his children.
Speaking at the book’s presentation at Rome’s Teatro Brancaccio, Totti recalled telling them: “I don’t know if I can make it. Believe me, I don’t know how much longer I can hold on.” The words capture the uncertainty he faced as his symptoms worsened and treatment appeared to bring little relief.
Illness Came Days After His Father’s Death
Totti’s account describes a difficult succession of events. He had recently lost his father when he began experiencing severe symptoms of COVID-19. The grief, combined with the rapid decline in his health, made the illness especially frightening. He said he could barely get out of bed and felt that nothing was helping.
“Medicines, injections, concoctions: nothing worked,” he recalled. His father’s recent death shaped how he understood the danger. Totti said he was terrified of dying in the same way, a fear that grew as his condition failed to improve.
For readers who know Totti chiefly as a football icon, the memoir offers a strikingly personal contrast to the confidence and composure he displayed on the pitch. As Roma’s long-serving captain, he was celebrated for his vision, technique and ability to influence a match. But in his account of COVID-19, there was no tactical solution or last-minute goal to change the course of events—only a frightening illness and the uncertainty of what might happen next.
Doctors Found Bilateral Pneumonia
Concern about Totti’s condition led him to undergo medical tests at Campus Bio-Medico University Hospital in Rome. The examinations revealed bilateral pneumonia, meaning that both lungs were affected. His oxygen saturation had fallen to 88%, a level that prompted doctors to recommend immediate hospital admission.
That finding marked a serious turning point in the episode. COVID-19 can affect people in very different ways, but pneumonia and reduced oxygen levels may require close medical monitoring. Totti’s recollection highlights how quickly the illness can move from feeling unwell to becoming a medical emergency, even for someone accustomed to maintaining peak physical condition as a professional athlete.
According to his account, however, he refused to remain in hospital and signed himself out. His decision was driven by fear, grief and a powerful wish to stay close to his children. He explained that he did not want to experience the same kind of separation he associated with his father’s final days.
“I don’t want to end up like my father. If I have to die, I want to die at home, not shut up in here without seeing my children again.”
The statement reveals the emotional conflict at the centre of Totti’s story. Doctors were urging him to accept hospital care, while he was focused on being at home with his family. His account does not present the choice as a simple act of bravery; instead, it conveys the fear and distress that shaped his thinking at a moment when he believed his life could be in danger.
A Different Kind of Test for a Football Legend
During his playing career, Totti became one of Italian football’s most recognisable figures. He spent nearly his entire senior career with Roma, captaining the club and earning a reputation for loyalty as well as extraordinary skill. His autobiography, Oltre, looks beyond those familiar sporting achievements to explore the experiences that tested him away from the stadium.
The COVID-19 episode is especially revealing because it places a celebrated athlete in a situation where physical strength and public status offered no guarantee of control. Totti’s story is not a football prediction, match preview or account of a sporting comeback. It is a personal reflection on illness, bereavement and the fear of leaving loved ones behind. That perspective gives the memoir a broader appeal for readers interested in the human lives behind famous names.
His decision to speak openly may also resonate with people who lived through the uncertainty of the pandemic. Many families faced illness while coping with isolation, loss and difficult medical decisions. Totti’s experience was his own, but his description of fear and separation reflects emotions shared by people around the world during that period.
What Oltre Adds to Totti’s Story
The title Oltre, meaning “beyond,” suggests a look past the public image built around Totti’s football career. In recounting his battle with COVID-19, he offers readers a view of vulnerability that contrasts with the confidence associated with his years as Roma’s number 10. The episode also shows how family remained central to his thoughts during a moment of extreme uncertainty.
His recollections should be understood as a personal account rather than medical guidance. Anyone experiencing serious breathing difficulties or other concerning symptoms should seek professional care and follow advice from qualified clinicians. Totti’s story instead offers an intimate account of how frightening illness can become, particularly when it arrives alongside grief.
By sharing the words he spoke to his children and the fear behind his decision to leave hospital, Totti has added a deeply personal chapter to his life story. For football fans, Oltre promises more than memories of goals, trophies and Roma’s greatest moments. It also presents the former captain as a father and son confronting loss, uncertainty and the possibility that he might not make it through.
