Francesco Totti's hopes of making a splash at Euro 2004 have been ruined by his temperament and Italy's playmaker may have kicked his last ball in the tournament.
Totti, one of the glamour boys of Italian soccer, was banned for three matches on Thursday after cameras caught him spitting at Danish midfielder Christian Poulsen in Monday's 0-0 draw.
The loss of long-haired Totti is a huge blow for the Italians. Coach Giovanni Trapattoni has made the AS Roma player the fulcrum of his team's attacking play and the team brochure describes Totti as "a symbol of Italian football worldwide".
He wears the number 10 shirt graced by greats like Roberto Baggio and features in high profile publicity campaigns for brands such as PepsiCo and Nike.
Totti, 27, had been anxious to make amends for the 2002 World Cup when he was sent off for diving as Italy flopped in the second round against South Korea.
On that occasion he was forgiven by his fellow Italians and seen as an innocent victim of poor refereeing.
He is unlikely to get such a sympathetic response this time.
Totti is a rarity in modern soccer being a local boy playing for the club he supported as a boy.
He made his debut for Roma as a 16-year-old in 1993 and has long been an idol of the ultras in the 'Curve Sud', the home of the hardcore fans in the south end of Rome's Olympic stadium.
Roman fans believe he is more sinned against than sinner in Serie A, putting up with huge amounts of provocation from defenders.
He is not as popular in other Italian cities where his Roman accent and rough-and-ready manner earned him the reputation for being slow-witted and made him the butt of countless jokes.
He cleverly turned the tables on his tormentors by publishing a book entitled "All the Totti Jokes, Collected by Me," and donating the proceeds from the surprise best-seller to charity.
One of the outstanding players in Serie A in recent years, Totti has never totally convinced on the international stage as his return of six goals from more than 40 games illustrates.
He had been given licence to roam as Trapattoni sought to exploit his refined passing and finishing abilities in Portugal.
The midfield has been constructed to win possession and feed Totti and the movement of the forwards so often anticipates the sweeping passes that are his hallmark.
It was felt that if Totti sparked, then Italy could improve on their runners-up spot from Euro 2000. Those plans are now in tatters.
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