Totti urges Roma to focus on Serie A despite encouraging Champions League draw

Francesco Totti insists Serie A must remain Roma's "main objective" despite the prospect of a favourable Champions League draw.

Published : Dec 11, 2017 18:49 IST

AS Roma will be making its second appearance in the knockout stages in seven seasons
AS Roma will be making its second appearance in the knockout stages in seven seasons
lightbox-info

AS Roma will be making its second appearance in the knockout stages in seven seasons

Roma legend Francesco Totti has warned his former club to keep its priorities straight after drawing Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League's last 16.

READ:  Champions League KO draw in full

Surprise winner of Group C, Roma avoided the possibility of drawing either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich for what will be its second appearance in the knockout stages in seven seasons.

Ukrainian champion Shakhtar finished second behind Manchester City in Group F, winning four of six matches to advance ahead of Napoli.

While hopeful of progression, Totti does not want the Giallorossi to lose focus on Serie A.

"Given what was there, it went well," Totti told SportMediaset of Roma's draw.

 

"Do not underestimate [Shakhtar] though, because they are technically and physically strong and play well at home.

"It will be an open game, but the further you go the harder it is.

"A lot of things can happen between now and February. We will think about the league and then in February we will think about trying to go through, which would be important for us.

"The league is the main objective for us. With respect to the Champions League, we know that the further we go the more stronger teams we will face, stronger than Roma.

"Football is about big surprises though and we will cause problems for any side we meet."

The first leg will be hosted by Shakhtar in February, with the return meeting to be played in the Italian capital in March.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment