New Jersey native Giuseppe Rossi has completed a big-ticket transfer from la Liga club Villarreal to Serie A side Fiorentina. And the high-scoring forward told the Post that his knee injury is healing well, and he’s looking forward to playing for the only squad that made a genuine effort to sign him.
“(I’m) happy for the move,’’ the 25-year-old Rossi told the Post. “(Fiorentina was) the only team to show true interest in me.’’
Rossi is a hot-button topic for many U.S. National Team fans. He’s arguably the best player this country has ever produced, and certainly in a way the most bitter disappointment. Born in Teaneck and raised in Clifton, he moved to Parma, Italy at the age of 12, and spurned then-U.S. coach Bruce Arena’s 2006 call-up to a pre-World Cup camp in hopes of playing for Italy.
He debuted for the Azzurri in 2008, even wearing the captain’s armband two years later. And that same year he had a breakout campaign for club as well, pouring in a career-high 32 goals for Villarreal in 2010-11, as you can see in the video below.
But Rossi tore his right ACL against Real Madrid on Oct. 26, 2011. Then he re-injured it on April 13, 2012 and hasn’t played since, although he said rehab is moving along.
“(My) knee is doing very well,’’ said Rossi. “But (there is) no need to rush, because I want to be 110 percent fit (and have) no more setbacks.’’
Fiorentina had enough faith to make a $12.45 move for him, holding a press conference last week and announcing he’d signed a four-year deal. He’s anxious to start living up to it, but wants to be patient in his recovery after already suffering that spring setback.