Roma icon Totti on Juventus wonderkid: “Comparing him to Del Piero doesn’t help” | OneFootball

Legendary Roma striker Francesco Totti urges the fans and the media to stop comparing Juventus teenager Kenan Yildiz to his fellow icon Alessandro Del Piero.

The two 2006 World Cup winners shared a great rivalry on the pitch, as they were widely considered the finest Italian two Number 10s in their generation. But they were also great friends outside the pitch, as well as international teammates.

While Totti’s Number 10 jersey has remained vacant since his retirement in 2017, the iconic Number 10 at Juventus is still active, and Yildiz became the latest to inherit it.

The 19-year-old was one of the best breakout stars of the previous campaign, but has been blowing hot and cold this season, especially when playing on the left wing.

Therefore, Totti believes comparing Yildiz to Del Piero doesn’t do either man justice, as the youngster still has a long way to go, while replicating the achievements of the former Juventus captain is an incredibly daunting task for any any players.

“Yildiz is a young talent, he has great qualities to prove he is a great player,” said Totti while chatting with reporters during the Betsson Sport event at the Sportitalia Village via IlBianconero.

“Comparing him to Alex is reductive and does not help the boy. What Alex has done will be difficult to repeat. Wearing the number 10 is not easy. This jersey weighs a lot.”

This season, Yildiz has made eight appearances in Serie A, seven as a starter. While he contributed with a couple of assists, he has yet to score a league goal. His only strike thus far this season came against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League opener.

The Turkish teenager cut from the left and found the top corner with a sensational hit that brought back to memory some of the elusive strikes scored by Del Piero.