A joke that did not become a coincidence because it was Alessandro Frau himself who nipped the controversy in the bud.
Francesco Totti was a guest on Viva el Futbol , a program on Twitch hosted by Lele Adani, Antonio Cassano and Nicola Ventola . Between a memory and many jokes, the former Roma captain said: «Put Messi at Roma for 25 years, let's see. 25 years at Roma, let's see how many Ballon d'Ors he won. Maybe, maybe, with Frau and Pivotto also Messi... Maybe... He won ten Ballon d'Ors? Mmm. He struggled too. Do you know how many he won? Zero».
The reference is to when the then twenty-one year old talented striker from Porto Torres moved from Torres, where he had shone for two seasons, to Roma and made his debut against Salernitana by making a back-heel assist to Totti.
A joke that made several fans turn up their noses, but after a few hours it was Alessandro Frau himself on social media who "dismantled" the case : «With Francesco I have always had a relationship of great esteem and respect. I am proud of my experience in Rome that I sweated for with great sacrifices. His phrase was said in an ironic context and I do not feel offended . Palermo, Pisa, Viterbese, Pistoiese and 10 years of Torres, my career speaks for me. I may not have been Messi or Totti, but I defended myself well».