The Top 5 AS Roma Players of All Time

There are certain countries where professional football simply means more, and Italy is one of them. Italy is home to some of the most prestigious pro clubs, and among the most successful is Associazione Sportiva Roma, though most simply refer to them as Roma. The club has a long and storied history, and throughout it, there have been some players who have been considered among the best that the club has ever had.

Whether it be because they exhibited strong leadership, were able to net a ton of goals, or played tremendous defense, some Roma players are held in higher regard than the rest. Let’s take a look at the five best AS Roma players of all time and explain what it was that made them so legendary.

Roberto Pruzzo

A man who was known for scoring goals seemingly at will during the prime of his career, only one man scored more goals for Roma in the club’s history, but Pruzzo also played in hundreds of fewer matches. Pruzzo began his career with Genoa and was placed onto their senior squad in 1973. After five years, Pruzzo made his way to Roma where he made 315 appearances and scored 138 goals.

Pruzzo was the top scorer in Serie A in three different years and led Roma to the European Cup Finals. Thanks to his scoring efforts, Roma won the Coppa Italia four times during Pruzzo’s decade-long tenure. He wrapped up his professional career with one season with Fiorentina, but he will always be remembered mostly for his terrific play with Roma.

Giuseppe Giannini

Midfielder Giuseppe Giannini was bound to be a Roma legend from the time he was young. Giannini was born and raised in Rome, beginning his youth career with Almas Roma. All of the large Italian clubs wanted Giannini, but it was AS Roma that landed him in 1980 when he was just 16 years old. The following year, Giannini made his senior debut and would spend 15 years with Roma.

Giannini made 437 total appearances with Roma, scoring 75 goals and spending many of his years as the squad’s captain. Giannini’s Roma teams won the Coppa Italia three times and the Serie A championship once. In 1996, Giannini’s Roma career finally came to an end as he spent brief tenures with Sturm Graz, Napoli, and Lecce before retiring in 1999.

Bruno Conti

There were a couple of times when Bruno Conti was sent out on loan to Genoa, but other than that, he only played professionally for Roma. Conti was born in Nettuno in 1955, and after turning 18 he made his debut with Roma’s senior team where he became a staple for nearly two decades. With just over 400 in total, Conti ranks seventh on the list of most appearances in club history.

Conti was a fantastic winger during his professional career, helping Roma to win the Coppa Italia five times and the UEFA Cup Finals. Conti donned the number seven uniform, and the Hall of Famer was dubbed “The Mayor of Rome” thanks to his long tenure with Roma. Even after retiring from play, Conti stuck around the club and became the head of youth development, paving the way for Roma’s future.

Daniele De Rossi

Just like Bruno Conti, Daniele De Rossi became a legend with Roma who played for nearly 20 years with the club. De Rossi was born in Rome in 1983, joining the Roma youth squad in 2000. The following year, he made his professional debut and stuck around until 2020 when he wrapped up his playing days with five games as a member of Boca Juniors.

De Rossi made more appearances than all but the number one player on the list, netting 63 goals in that time. The former Serie A Footballer of the Year helped Roma reach new heights during the 2010s, including a deep run in the Champions League. With De Rossi, Roma won a pair of Coppa Italia while he also won the 2006 World Cup.

Francesco Totti

Just about every major record that there is in Roma history is held by Francesco Totti, and that’s probably never going to change. Totti has 170 more appearances than anyone else while having more than twice as many goals. Unlike the other members of the list, Totti never played for a professional team that wasn’t Roma, either.

Totti made his Roma debut in 1993 after bouncing around several youth teams, and his tenure lasted all the way into 2017. Totti had a long list of achievements throughout his career, winning a Serie A title, two Coppa Italia, a World Cup, and five Serie A Footballer of the Year titles.