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Italy's Francesco Totti Posted: Thursday May 23, 2002 1:58 PMUpdated: Thursday May 23, 2002 2:18 PM
Ask any Italian football fan to name one player who could lead them to World Cup glory and most would probably say AS Roma's golden boy Francesco Totti. At 25, the Roma captain is approaching his peak and playing some of the best football of his career as he heads to his first-ever World Cup. Totti, who is always a threat in possession, led his club side to the 2001 Serie A title. Capped 27 times, he is aiming to improve upon his two-goal haul at the 2000 European Championships when Italy lost in the final. Now the gifted attacker hopes to propel his side to victory on an even greater stage. "I hope that Italy will play a good Cup," Totti said. "I believe we are among the favorite teams. We have a good team with good players, and we have the right skills to make the final. "There are many players able to decide how a game will end. I hope we will arrive in Japan with a positive frame of mind and be focused." Italy has been focused in the buildup to the World Cup and appears to have recovered from the disappointment of Euro 2000. But the team that beat them, current World Cup-holder France, will again be tough to stop. But first things first -- Totti and his teammates open the finals against Ecuador on June 3 as the Azzurri set out to join Brazil as the only four-time winners of the World Cup. World Sport, the sports news show that airs on CNN International, previewed many of the individuals expected to shine at the World Cup.
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