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Rossi named to Fiorentina squad, could play in first match in 18 months

GiuseppeRossi (ESPN)

By DAN KARELL

The long and winding road to recovery is for Giuseppe Rossi is nearly over.

Beset by multiple knee injuries and surgeries, the 26-year-old forward was named on Tuesday to the Fiorentina squad set to face Siena on Wednesday in Serie A action. Rossi moved from relegated Spanish side Villarreal to Florence in a ā‚¬10 million transfer move last winter.

The last time Rossi played in an official match was October 26, 2011 with Villarreal, in a 3-0 loss to Real Madrid. The Clifton, New Jersey native tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the second half, forcing him off the field. In April of 2012 while rehabbing, Rossi again tore the same ligament, keeping him out of Villarreal’s relegation fight and Italy’s Euro 2012 squad.

Now, 18 months after his last competitive game, Rossi is ready to make his Fiorentina debut and put his injury troubles behind him.

What do you make of the news? Happy to see Rossi back on the pitch? See him having any chance of getting called up for Italy in the Confederations Cup this summer?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I’m sorry. Who?

    (I love when being ‘one of those fans’ actually puts you in the majority. I will always be sour (not hate. I think that goes overboard) towards Rossi.)

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  2. I always hate to hear about knee ligament injuries to sports players, especially when they re-injure the same knee.

    Hopefully Rossi has an excellent financial planner in case his playing career is already over.

    Some people can come back just fine, and some people end up like John O’Brien.

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  3. Way to stay classy people! I forgot how cruel and classless some people are. Why would you ever wish injury on someone? Why would you dismiss a guy’s citizenship just because he doesn’t play for the US? Why would you call him some disrespectful, derogatory things?? Oh wait…….. I already answered that —- classless.

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  4. Why all the hate on SBI for this. No were have I seen SBI being an exclusive USMNT site. If you want that there are other sites, but none as good as this. Rossi took advantage of the same rule that we try to get all these German, Mexican, Icelanders, and name the multinational kid. It is apart of the modern World Cup cycle recruiting. I dare one of you who hate on Rossi to tell me honestly if you had the choice to start for the USMNT or Italy you would chose USMNT. I do not blame the kid, in fact I root for him. The better any American does only helps US Soccer not hurt it. When they play the US I will not but I only wish him the best.

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    • What Rossi does or doesn’t do, reflects in no way on American soccer. I understand the reasons why Rossi decided to play for Italy and that’s fine. However his success does nothing to help the development of US Soccer in any way. You could argue it’s still a bit of an embarrassment that our own coach even loves to bring up over and over.

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  5. I will not return to Soccer By Ives for a week. Anytime I see a Rossi article, I am electing to boycott the site for a week until you get the picture.

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    • Maybe I didn’t get your joke, but that would be impossible.

      He’s played for Italy in the Confederations Cup, which permanently ties him to the Azzurri.

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  6. Who cares? Hope he has fun watching both the US and Italy next summer from the comfort of his living room.

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  7. Rossi may have lost his chance with Italy. They have some quality strikers atm with Balotelli being their de facto striker. Rossi had the 2009 CONFED CUP and not making the WC in 2010

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  8. why are people mad at him?

    From age 12 he was playing for Parma. His dad inspired him to play and for years he was toiling away learning the trade in Italy. It’s not as if he ever said he was gonna join the USMNT and then lied or played with our emotions. He was declared Italy from day 1

    get over it. besides how would he have changed our NT same as Subotic?

    Yes it would be great to have 1 of the best strikers in Spain to be American or the no1 defender in a CL final.

    but that’s that. get over it

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      • Yeah it doesn’t matter… The USMNT totally couldn’t use a dynamic goal scorer through the years

      • Ben Lederman’s situation is different. Unlike Ledermann, Rossi is a son of Italian immigrants, who was raised in Italian culture and was always a fan of Italian national team, just as his parents. He played for Italy’s youth national teams at almost every youth level starting from U16. He did a get a call up from the USMNT for a training camp in 2006, but politely declined stating his desire to play for Italy, which also called him up for Euro 2007 U21. I don’t have a problem with it. It’s not like he was developed by the US soccer program and suddenly switched allegiance to Italy – Italian federation identified and welcomed him to their program long before the US soccer invited him to a training camp. His parents are Italian and most of his soccer development happened in Italy. Playing for Italy has been Rossi’s dream from his early childhood and I will not blame him for pursuing his dream. In contrast, Ben is already part of the US youth national team program. I am not even sure if Ben has elibility to play for any other country.

      • Spoke to someone who new Rossi and his parents before he got big. He preferred to play with the Italian National team because he figured he had a better chance to win a World Cup. For many players its about glory hunting. Look at Owen Hargreaves. Does Diskerkud or Johannson really feel more American or do they just want to play in the World Cup?

  9. and an uninformed one. That game happened last weekend. Ah well. Point stands, Iā€™m rooting for whoever is playing Fiorentina. oops.

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    • and an uninformed one. That game happened last weekend. Ah well. Point stands, I’m rooting for whoever is playing Fiorentina. šŸ™‚

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