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Francesco Totti has revealed further details about how close he actually was to joining Real Madrid in 2003, saying that a combination of family, friends and the love of Rome saw him remain in the Eternal City. Speaking on his 40th birthday on Tuesday, Totti said he had come "very close" to moving to the Spanish side, but the Roma captain added that he does not regret for a minute turning down the opportunity. "I was about to go there in 2003, even if it's not true that I was in Spain," Totti told Sky Sport Italia. "But then my heart, my friends and the family helped me reflect on it, and fortunately I am still here to tell the tale. "And then when there were problems with the penultimate contract I signed, I really thought about changing club." Totti has spent his entire playing career with the Giallorossi, even if he never felt he would still be playing, and making a difference, at the age of 40. "I don't know how I have made it here," Totti said. "Maybe it's because I don't have any vices, I'm still intact and I still have that desire, passion and determination to go on enjoying myself." The whole of Italy and Europe have been paying tribute to the veteran, who scored in the 3-1 defeat to Torino last weekend, and he said he has been overwhelmed by all of the messages he has received. "I'd like to thank everybody from my heart," he said. "I would never have expected a tribute like this. I want to thank my colleagues, other sportspeople, world icons who have really gratified me a lot. I wanted to turn my phone off this morning and throw a sickie so I wouldn't have to see anybody, but I instead decided to cherish all of the beautiful things from today."
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