AS Roma captain Francesco Totti announced his retirement from international soccer here on Friday.
"Over is an ugly word, but I have taken the decision to close the national team chapter (of my career) for a variety of physical reasons, not technical ones," the 30-year-old, a member of Italy's World Cup-winning team, said at a press conference.
The striker, considered by many Italy's most talented footballer, has not played for the Azzurri since last year's World Cup Final win over France.
Totti opted to take a controversial break from the national team after the tournament, citing the need to recover full fitness after breaking his leg the previous season.
He said he has decided to make the break definitive, so that the issue of whether he will play for Italy does not disturb the Azzurri camp.
"I have realised that I can't play more than a certain number of matches a year because of a variety of problems, with my ankle, with my back," he said.
"I had to give up something and unfortunately it has to be the national team because I can't quit Roma - Roma is the priority".
He said he had spoken to Italy coach Roberto Donadoni, who accepted his decision "with sorrow", but did not try to change his mind.
Totti has 58 caps and has scored nine international goals.
He made his Azzurri debut in October 1998 in a 2-0 win over Switzerland.
He played in all of Italy's games at Germany 2006 and scored the dramatic last-minute spot-kick that saw off Australia in the quarter-finals.
Although he was part of the winning side, Totti failed to live up to his billing as an international great at the World Cup, in part because of fitness problems linked to the broken leg he suffered in the 2005-06 season.
His international career also had some notable low points.
At the 2002 World Cup, he was sent off as the Azzurri crashed out of the competition in a 2-1 defeat to co-hosts South Korea.
At Euro 2004 an unwise spit at hard-tackling Dane Christian Poulsen put him out of the tournament as Italy fizzled away before he could get another game.
Among the high points was the cheeky chipped penalty he scored against the Netherlands in the semi-final of Euro 2000.
Totti was Serie A's top scorer last season with 26 goals, when he led Roma, the only top-flight club he has played for, to triumph in the Italian cup.
He won the 2001 scudetto with the Roman outfit too.
