SYDNEY, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- An offer has been made to lure Italian superstar Francesco Totti out of retirement for a one-off quarter final match in Australia's National Premier League.
In town during early October to run a football coaching clinic, Aussie outfit APIA Leichardt are hoping to use their close connections with Totti's former club A.S. Roma to entice the 5-time Serie A player of the year to take part in a match against Adelaide United on September 26.
"The club is trying to make something special happen, we've put in an offer and now we're waiting to see if that offer will be taken up," AS Roma's Sydney football academy representative, Anthony Ucchino, told local media on Sunday.
"The club is taking the initiative and we're hopeful we can build something on the links we already have," he added.
Bizarrely, the news comes just days after a similar bid was offered to fellow Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo by Avondale FC for their quarterfinal showdown with Sydney FC.
If the deals do manage to go ahead, it would be a stunning result for Australia's national knockout competition and a major surprise for football fans around the world.
