AS Roma react angrily to Totti rumours

AS Roma have barred two journalists from interviews in an angry reaction to claims that he club will sell captain Francesco Totti to hated city rivals SS Lazio in the summer.

The pair have been banned from Roma's matches, press conferences and the Trigoria training complex owned by the club.

Totti is set to play for Italy tomorrow night against Spain in a friendly and last week pledged his future to AS Roma, the club he joined as a 12 year old.

There has been speculation that Totti could move from Roma before the end of his contract in 2002 with the Serie A club with AC Milan linked with a bid for the striker.

The two journalists have written about SS Lazio's interest in the player who is highly rated by the club's president Sergio Cragnotti and Roma have hit back by trying to halt any speculation with plans to float the club on the Italian Borsa between April 8th and 10th next month.

The Totti rumours first surfaced from the Italian stock exchange where SS Lazio have been extremely successful since their quotation two years ago. Lazio defeated Roma in the derby game on Saturday and face title favourites Juventus in Turin on Saturday in the season's decisive match.

Any moves to sell Totti to their hated city rivals would spark a hostile campaign against the club's president Franco Sensi just as Roma are about to sell shares in the club for the first time.