.jpg) Rossi in 2023 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Giuseppe Rossi[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1987-02-01)1 February 1987 (age 38)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Teaneck,New Jersey, United States | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[3] | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–1999 | Clifton Stallions | ||
| 2000–2004 | Parma | ||
| 2004 | Manchester United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004–2007 | Manchester United | 5 | (1) |
| 2006 | →Newcastle United (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| 2007 | →Parma (loan) | 19 | (9) |
| 2007–2013 | Villarreal | 136 | (54) |
| 2013–2017 | Fiorentina | 34 | (16) |
| 2016 | →Levante (loan) | 17 | (6) |
| 2016–2017 | →Celta (loan) | 18 | (4) |
| 2017–2018 | Genoa | 9 | (1) |
| 2020 | Real Salt Lake | 7 | (1) |
| 2021–2022 | SPAL | 14 | (3) |
| 2023 | SPAL | 5 | (0) |
| Total | 275 | (95) | |
| International career | |||
| 2003 | Italy U16 | 5 | (3) |
| 2003–2004 | Italy U17 | 14 | (6) |
| 2004–2005 | Italy U18 | 3 | (0) |
| 2006–2008 | Italy U21 | 16 | (5) |
| 2008 | Italy U23 | 6 | (6) |
| 2008–2014 | Italy | 30 | (7) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Giuseppe Rossi (Italian pronunciation:[dʒuˈzɛppeˈrossi]; born 1 February 1987) is a former professionalfootballer who played as aforward.
Born in the United States, Rossi spent most of his career in Europe withVillarreal andFiorentina, in addition to spells with other clubs in England, Italy and Spain, before returning to his country of birth to joinReal Salt Lake for a single season in 2020.
At international level, Rossi representedItaly at the2008 Summer Olympics, and at the2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, collecting thirty appearances and scoring seven goals at senior level between 2008 and 2014. Along withMario Balotelli andDaniele De Rossi, he isItaly's all-time top scorer in the FIFA Confederations Cup, with two goals.[4]
Due to his prolific performances in the SpanishLa Liga, Rossi earned the nicknamePepito Rossi, a reference to his namesakePaolo Rossi, who was nicknamedPablito following his goalscoring performances in Italy's victorious1982 FIFA World Cup campaign in Spain.[5][6]
Rossi isItalian American, born to Italian immigrant parents inTeaneck,New Jersey. His father, Fernando Rossi fromFraine,Abruzzo, coached soccer and taught Italian and Spanish atClifton High School. His mother, Cleonilde Rossi fromAcquaviva d'Isernia,Molise, was also a language teacher at Clifton, and his sister, Tina, currently lives in the United States.[7] Rossi played prep soccer at Clifton High School.[8]
After his father died in 2010, Rossi began to wear the number 49, which was the year of his father's birth. In 2014, he switched back to the number 22 jersey.[9][10]
On 1 December 2020, his daughter was born.[11]
When offered a spot on the youth team of Parma, Rossi (then 12) and his father moved to Italy untilManchester United bought his contract when he was 17.[12] His first-team debut came on 20 November 2004, at home toCrystal Palace in the fifth round of theLeague Cup, as an 84th-minute substitute forDavid Bellion.[13]
For his Premier League debut on 15 October 2005, he came on in the 78th minute forRuud van Nistelrooy and nine minutes later scored the last goal in a 3–1 win overSunderland at theStadium of Light.[14] On 18 January 2006, in anFA Cup third-round replay, he started and scored twice as United beat non-leagueBurton Albion 5–0.[15] Although Rossi did not play in theLeague Cup final againstWigan Athletic,Nemanja Vidić (who made a seven-minute cameo at the end of the game) gave Rossi his medal in recognition of Rossi's contribution to the team's success in the earlier rounds.[16]
At the start of the2006–07 season, Rossi moved toNewcastle United on loan until 1 January 2007, where he was expected to gain some first team experience. He made his home debut on 24 September 2006.[17] Rossi scored his only Newcastle goal in his first start on 25 October 2006, againstPortsmouth in a League Cup third round tie atSt James' Park.[18]
For the second half of the season, he was again loaned out, this time to his former club Parma,[19] scoring nine goals in 19 league appearances.[20]
On 31 July 2007, Manchester United confirmed that Rossi had been sold to Spanish clubVillarreal for an undisclosed fee, reportedly around£6.6 million (€10 million).[21][22] He scored his first goal for Villarreal on his debut againstValencia on 26 August 2007.[23]
In his second season with Villarreal, Rossi had scored 12 goals in 30 league appearances, along with three goals in eightChampions League appearances.[24] In January 2011, he signed a contract extension with Villarreal until 2016.[25] The2010–11 season proved to be his breakthrough season, as he scored 32 goals in 56 appearances in all competitions, helping the club to a fourth-place finish in La Liga, scoring 18 goals, which qualified them for the2011–12 UEFA Champions League, also helping Villarreal to the semi-finals of the2010–11 UEFA Europa League that season, scoring 11 goals, and the quarter-finals of theCopa del Rey. An anterior cruciate ligament injury on Rossi's right knee that he picked up in the 3–0 loss against Real Madrid on 26 October 2011 caused Rossi to be out for six months.[26] Rossi re injured his anterior cruciate ligament of right knee in training on 13 April 2012, and was out for a further 10 months.[27] At the end of his 6 year stay with Villarreal, he had scored 82 goals in 192 games in all competitions and became the club's all time top scorer.[28] After 10 years of scoring his final goal for Villarreal in October 2011 in a match againstReal Zaragoza, his record was surpassed byGerard Moreno on 11 August 2021, after he scored a goal in the2021 UEFA Super Cup match againstChelsea.[29][30]
On 4 January 2013,Fiorentina came to an agreement withVillarreal for the transfer of Rossi for a fee of approximately €11.8 million.[31] On 7 January, Fiorentina held a press conference unveiling Rossi, where it was revealed the player had signed a four-year contract containing a €35 million release clause.[32]
On 21 May, the final day of the2012–13 Serie A season, Rossi made his debut for Fiorentina as a substitute in a 5–1 win overPescara.[33]
On 26 August, Rossi scored his first goal in 23 months in Fiorentina's opening match of the2013–14 Serie A season – a 2–1 defeat ofCatania.[34] On 20 October, Rossi inspired Fiorentina to a 4–2 come from behind win over rivalsJuventus, netting a 14-minute hat-trick that condemned Juve to their first defeat in Florence for 15 years.[35]
On 5 January 2014, Rossi was substituted in Fiorentina's match againstLivorno as he suffered a second-degree sprain of his medial collateral ligament in his right knee.[36] The blow was dealt byLeandro Rinaudo, who tackled Rossi from behind in a manner so dirty that he drew international condemnation.[37] Up to this point Rossi had been the leading goal scorer inSerie A with 14 goals in 18 league appearances.[38]
Rossi returned from injury as a 69th-minute substitute in Fiorentina's 3–1Coppa Italia final loss toNapoli on 3 May.[39] On 6 May, he scored on his Serie A comeback – a 4–3 defeat toSassuolo.[40]
On 14 August 2014, Rossi injured his medial meniscus of right knee in training. On 5 September 2014 Fiorentina confirmed Rossi would be out for 4–5 months.[41]
Rossi returned to the pitch on 30 August 2015, in a 3–1 away defeat toTorino; later that week he also agreed with his club to take a salary cut.[42] On 1 October, he scored his first goal since coming back from his injury in Fiorentina's 4–0 away victory overBelenenses in theEuropa League.[43]
On 22 January 2016, Rossi returned toLa Liga by signing a loan deal until end of the season withLevante, in order to gain playing time, and a place in the Italy national side at Euro 2016.[44] He made his club debut on 31 January, scoring in a 3–1 away defeat toSevilla.[45] On 13 March at theEstadi Ciutat de València, he scored the only goal of a win over city rivalsValencia CF, managed by his former United teammateGary Neville.[46] On 8 May, he scored a late winner in a 2–1 home win over title contendersAtlético Madrid, although the result was not sufficient to prevent the team from being relegated.[47]
On 29 August 2016, Rossi signed a one-year contract withCelta de Vigo, with an option for another year.[48] He scored his first goal for the club on his debut, which came in a 1–1 away draw againstStandard Liège in Celta's opening group match of theEuropa League.[49] He made his league debut with the club on 18 September, coming on as a substitute in a 0–0 away draw againstOsasuna.[50] On 3 April 2017, Rossi scored a hat-trick in a 3–1 home win overLas Palmas in La Liga; this was his first goal since he scored againstEspanyol on 25 September 2016, and his first hat-trick since 20 October 2013, when he scored three goals for Fiorentina in a 4–2 home win against Juventus.[51][52] On 9 April 2017, Rossi suffered the fifth serious injury of his career when he ruptured the ACL in his left knee in a game againstSD Eibar, and was consequently ruled out of action for at least 6 months.[53][54] Rossi became a free agent in July after Fiorentina allowed his contract to expire and he subsequently rejected an offer by Celta to remain with the Spanish side until January 2018.[55]
On 4 December 2017, Rossi was signed byGenoa on a free transfer.[56] He made his debut for the club on 20 December, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 2–0 away defeat against Juventus in the round of 16 of theCoppa Italia.[57][58]
He left Genoa at the end of the 2017–18 season.[59]
On 12 May 2018 Rossi failed a drug test following a Serie A match againstBenevento, testing positive for the banned substancedorzolamide. Although the country's anti-doping prosecutor wanted Rossi to face a one-year ban for this offence, following a hearing with that took place on 1 October, Rossi was ultimately given a warning; afterward, Rossi's lawyer Sergio Puglisi claimed: "We don't understand how this substance ended up among Rossi's foods, there was no intentionality – the line of good faith and consistency prevailed." Rossi latertweeted: "A nightmare of four months is over. I only want to think about football."[60]
In January 2019, Rossi started training with his former club, Manchester United.[61] In February of that year, Rossi was reported to have been invited to train withMLS sideLos Angeles FC.[62] On 14 October, his former club Villarreal announced that Rossi would start training with their first team.[63] In an interview with Italian daily newspaperCorriere della Sera in December 2019, he stated that he was "ready to help out anySerie A team".[64]
Following a trial with theMLS club, Rossi was announced as aReal Salt Lake player on 27 February 2020.[65] He made his club debut on 29 February, coming on as a late second–half substitute in a 0–0 away draw againstOrlando City in the MLS.[66] His contract option was declined by Salt Lake following their 2020 season.[67]
On 19 November 2021, after a few weeks of training with the club squad, Rossi was formally announced as a new signing for ItalianSerie B clubSPAL, on a deal until the end of the season.[68]
On 17 February 2023, after being without a club for half a year, Rossi returned to SPAL on a deal until the end of the season.[69] He retired at the end of the 2022–23 season on 22 July 2023.[70][71]
.jpg)
Rossi represented Italy at almost every youth level fromunder-16 tounder-21 levels.[72] In 2006, he was invited to a pre-World Cup training camp with theUnited States national team by coachBruce Arena but declined, stating his desire to play forItaly.[73] He was called up for the2007 Under-21 European Championship by Italy under-21 head coachPierluigi Casiraghi.[74] The following year, he scored four goals at the2008 Summer Olympics, making him the top scorer of the tournament,[75] despite only reaching the quarter-finals with Italy, following a 3–2 loss toBelgium on 16 August, in which he scored twice from the penalty spot;[76] his other two goals came in the opening match of the competition – a 3–0 win againstHonduras on 7 August, in which he scored the second goal of the game from a penalty[77] – and in Italy's second group match on 10 August – a 3–0 win overKorea Republic – in which he scored the opening goal.[78]
Italy national football team managerMarcello Lippi stated that had Rossi been fit, he would have received a call-up for the2010 World Cup qualifiers in September 2008.[79] Rossi was called up to the Italy squad in October 2008,[80] making his senior debut for the national team as a second-half substitute in a 0–0 away draw againstBulgaria on 11 October, in a 2010 World Cup qualifier.[81] Rossi scored his first goal for the Italy national team on 6 June 2009, in afriendly againstNorthern Ireland, atPisa'sArena Garibaldi.[82] He also scored two goals in a 3–1 win against his country of birth, the United States, in Italy's opening match of the2009 FIFA Confederations Cup inSouth Africa on 15 June 2009,[83] although Italy subsequently lost their next two matches and suffered a first-round elimination.[84]
Rossi was included in Lippi's provisional 28-man2010 FIFA World Cup squad, which had been announced in May,[85] but failed to make the cut for the final 23-man squad.[86]
On 17 November 2010, for his 18th cap for Italy, Rossi was picked by Italian managerCesare Prandelli to wear thecaptain's armband for the first time ahead of the team's friendly againstRomania.[87]
After a two-year absence from the national team due to injury, which saw him miss out on a place atEuro 2012, Rossi appeared in a2014 World Cup qualifying match on 15 October 2013, as Italy drew 2–2 againstArmenia at home.[88][89] On 13 May 2014, Rossi was named in Italy's provisional 30-man squad for the2014 FIFA World Cup,[90] however on 1 June, it was announced that Rossi had not made the final 23-man World Cup squad.[91]
On 24 May 2016, Prandelli's successor as Italy's manager,Antonio Conte, released his 30-man shortlist forUEFA Euro 2016 roster; Rossi was not selected.[92]
A quick and mobile left-footedforward, Rossi was known for his overall attacking and creative style of play, as well as his work-rate, movement off the ball, his powerful and accurate striking ability, and instincts in the box. Regarded as one of the most promising Italian players of his generation in his youth, his playing style has often been compared to that of compatriotAlessandro Del Piero, due to his acceleration, strong technical skills, range of passing,dribbling talents, and his ability to either score goals or pick out a pass and create chances for teammates;[72][93] he was also compared to his namesake, 1982 World Cup-winning strikerPaolo Rossi, due to his opportunism, pace, agility, and eye for goal.[6][94]
In 2013, former Fiorentina playmakerGiancarlo Antognoni likened Rossi to fellow former Fiorentina number tenRoberto Baggio, "In terms of his touch and creativity."[95] Giuseppe Rossi was known for his ability to both finish off chances and link-up well with midfielders; due to his abilities, he often dropped deep between the lines and was involved in the buildup of plays. Because of this, Rossi was able to play in a variety of attacking positions, including on thewings, as asupporting striker, as a lone-striker, and in anattacking midfield role.[96][97][98][99][100] He was also an accuratepenalty taker.[101] Despite his talent, skill, and goalscoring ability, Rossi's playing time was limited in later seasons due to several recurring injury problems.[94][102]
In September 2021, Rossi began his career assports commentator forCalcio e Cappuccino, an American television program dedicated to theSerie A and broadcast onCBS Sports Network and can be found via streaming onParamount+.[103][104]
On 8 July 2025, Rossi joinedNorth Jersey Pro Soccer, an expansion team inUSL League One, as vice chairman and director of soccer.[105] The club would adopt theNew York Cosmos name and identity two days later.[106]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental[b] | Other[c] | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Manchester United | 2004–05 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2005–06 | Premier League | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2[d] | 0 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 4 | |
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 4 | ||
| Newcastle United (loan) | 2006–07 | Premier League | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | 13 | 1 | |
| Parma (loan) | 2006–07 | Serie A | 19 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | — | 20 | 9 | |
| Villarreal | 2007–08 | La Liga | 27 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 5[e] | 0 | — | 37 | 13 | |
| 2008–09 | La Liga | 30 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 8[d] | 3 | — | 39 | 15 | ||
| 2009–10 | La Liga | 34 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 8[f] | 5 | — | 46 | 17 | ||
| 2010–11 | La Liga | 36 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 15[f] | 11 | — | 56 | 32 | ||
| 2011–12 | La Liga | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5[d] | 2 | — | 14 | 5 | ||
| 2012–13 | Segunda División | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 136 | 54 | 15 | 7 | 41 | 21 | — | 192 | 82 | |||
| Fiorentina | 2012–13 | Serie A | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14 | Serie A | 21 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 2[f] | 1 | — | 24 | 17 | ||
| 2014–15 | Serie A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | Serie A | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[f] | 2 | — | 16 | 2 | ||
| 2016–17 | Serie A | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 34 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | — | 42 | 19 | |||
| Levante (loan) | 2015–16 | La Liga | 17 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 6 | ||
| Celta Vigo (loan) | 2016–17 | La Liga | 18 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 7[f] | 1 | — | 29 | 6 | |
| Genoa | 2017–18 | Serie A | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 1 | ||
| Real Salt Lake | 2020 | Major League Soccer | 7[g] | 1 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | ||
| SPAL | 2021–22 | Serie B | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 3 | ||
| 2022–23 | Serie B | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| Total | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 3 | ||||
| Career total | 275 | 95 | 24 | 10 | 57 | 25 | 7 | 2 | 363 | 132 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 2008 | 2 | 0 |
| 2009 | 12 | 3 | |
| 2010 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 9 | 3 | |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 30 | 7 | |
Individual
Italy squads | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
