Spalletti hopes Roma legend Totti ends career 'honorably'

Roma manager Luciano Spalletti hopes Francesco Totti ends his career "honorably," and admits coaching the team without the 39-year-old as a protagonist has been difficult.

Spalletti famously sent Totti home from the Feb. 21 fixture in Palermo after the Roma captain hit out at the Giallorossi for reducing his role with the club.

Related - Report: Francesco Totti sent home as feud with Luciano Spalletti escalates

The two appear to have made amends in the intervening weeks, with Totti making an appearance as a substitute in Friday's 4-1 win over Fiorentina at the Stadio Olimpico.

"It's right that he's praised and respected so much by everyone, and I really hope he can end this career honorably, following his heart. It's difficult to coach this team without taking Totti into account," Spalletti told Roma TV. "It's not easy to play him as much as he used to. Things have changed."

Spalletti has restored a level of calm and returned Roma to winning ways since replacing Rudi Garcia in January. The capital club is currently on a seven-game winning streak, and back in the third and final Champions League spot. But the Totti case - Il Caso Totti, as the Italian media have branded it - has inspired doubts about the future.

Related - The Totti Case: Roma prepares for Fiorentina showdown with doubts over future

Totti, in his 23rd season with Roma, has only managed two Serie A starts this season, missing a large chunk of it because of a thigh injury. Spalletti managed Totti and Roma for the first time between 2005 and 2009, and he still has great respect for the man.

"He's the history of Roma, the best Italian player in the post-war era," said the 56-year-old. "I learned so much from him. We studied his moves and used them in our training sessions, and it helped my teams score a great number of goals."

Totti is in the 21-man squad to face Real Madrid in the second leg of Roma's last-16 Champions League tie.