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Totti to make international comeback

Roma's captain Francesco Totti reacts during their Italian championship match serie A at the Olimpico Stadium in Rome on Sunday. PHOTO: AFP

AS Roma captain Francesco Totti has said he will be once again available for international selection starting from September, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced on Monday.

The in-form striker should now be present for the world champions decisive Euro 2008 qualifiers against the team they beat in last year's World Cup final France on Sept. 8 and the Ukraine four days later.

The FIGC statement also said that Italian national coach Roberto Donadoni and vice-president of the federation Gigi Riva had held talks with Totti to "be assured of his willingness to return to the national team ... on the basis he would be able to combine his club engagements in the championship and Cup with those of the national side."

Totti decided to hang up his international boots following Italy's victorious campaign at last year's World Cup finals in Germany.

The 30-year-old Totti failed to fully recover from a fractured fibula suffered in a league game just three months before the World Cup.

And though the Italian striker made the finals he could not quite find the form he had prior to the accident and subsequently decided to quit the national team and concentrate on club soccer.

However Totti, who has 58 caps for his country with nine goals, will look to carry over his impressive Serie A form and help propel the Azzuri to the Euro 2008 finals beginning on June 7 and which is being co-hosted by Switzerland and Austria.

Totti has been on target for his club this season and is the league's leading scorer firing 18 goals in 27 matches.
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