Italian star Giuseppe Rossi, who has played for many clubs such as Parma, Manchester United, Villarreal and Fiorentina, is currently coaching children in his training camp in New Jersey, USA. He was interviewed by Milan Sports News and reviewed his life and career.
In the summer of 1999, you came to Parma from the United States, and you were 12 years old. How is your relationship with Italy?
"Great. Every summer, we set out from Clifton, New Jersey, and stay in Italy for a month and a half. The base camp is Fraine, the small village of 500 people my father was born in Chieti Province. Then there is my mother's hometown, Acquaviva di Isernia in the Molica region, and the seaside of Vasto."
How did your parents meet?
"In school, in Clifton, they both teach there. My dad came to the United States when he was 16, and my mom was 13."
Tell me about Frene.
"It's like New York for me. I live in the typical townhouse in American TV series. I can only drive when I go out, there is no sense of community, life is very closed, and no one around the children want to play football. They only think about basketball, rugby, baseball, I can only play two-on-two with my dad, mom, and sister. In Frei, there is a small cement court where we spend day after day, playing endless games, and then there is football and music in the square at night, absolutely free, we can run around without any obstacles, we are carefree, and parents don't have to worry. I feel as free as 30."
Then how did you come to Parma?
"At sometime during the holidays, my dad would take me to Tabiano Terme for a week-long football summer camp. I went there for three years, and there a Parma scout found me."
A difficult decision.
"It's so scary. I don't want to go inside, but I don't want to let my dad down. So I moved to Salsomaggiore with him, and my mom and my sister Tina stayed in Clifton. It's very difficult: at home we speak 40% Italian and 60% English, I'm in pain in writing, and the same goes for French and mathematics. The course in mathematics is much ahead of its level in Italy than in the United States. I'm a shy, introvert Little boy, it's hard to make friends. The teachers think I went there just to play football and didn't help at all. And homesickness. Before my mother came to see us, I cried every night: it was a month and a half, but it seemed like three years for me. I only felt better on the court. It was my refuge, the only place that could make me breathe and feel at ease. "
And to further "torture" myself, you went to Sir Ferguson's Manchester United at the age of 17.
"They had a scout in that area, and one day in May 2004, he approached me, gave me a Manchester United badge, and told me they wanted me. I thought it was a joke, and gave my dad the phone number, and everything turned out to be true. A very important four-year contract and had the opportunity to train with the first team of the most important club in Europe at the time."
First meeting Sir Ferguson?
"I met when signing. It was a surprise. He was a strict but caring, caring and approachable person, a father-like person. He was used to treating young people as treasures, protecting them, motivating them, and allowing them to grow as people and players the best, with very clear and clear values and rules. We were very compatible because I was ambitious and well-educated. My father cultivated me very well in this regard. If I made a mistake, he would immediately make me correct it."
What about training?
"Unbelievable. It seems to be another planet, and it's a completely different sport than the kind I'm used to. Everyone has the speed and barbaric intensity of beasts. Do you know the famous saying - 'The game is like training'? Well, my dad always repeats this sentence with me, and it's like this at Manchester United, but the intensity is multiplied by a thousand times. There are no friends in training, everyone kicks, pushes, and is aggressive."
And how do you, a 17-year-old short striker, deal with it?
"I quickly understood what I had to do. I had talent, and I had to use it to win the respect and trust of those 'monsters'. Physically I was behind and had to make up for it by technology and mind."
So what?
"Think about a new speed. I must know what to do before the ball reaches my feet. Otherwise, Gary Neville or Vidic will give me a 'reminder' there. Those few blows... An anecdote perfectly portrayed my mental state at that time. Roy Keane wrote in his autobiography that once in training he scolded a young Italian for not passing the ball to him, and the boy returned with a tough, provocative look. . 'If he said something, I'll hit him. He remained silent, but his eyes were clear, saying I'm going to you. I want to shake hands with him,' that he wrote. That boy is me. And I don't remember this at all. Obviously I was in a competitive trance when I was training! My determination to achieve something is absolutely true. "
When you first arrived in Parma, did you ever think of giving up everything and saying to your dad, 'Let's go home'?
"There are, many times. But I never said to him, nor to my mom, nor to anyone. I don't want to let him down, but the most important thing is that I don't want to lose, and I want to make the final decision. Just like when I encountered injuries in my career later: I always come back, and it's up to me to decide when to give up, not a doctor or a club official. That's true, I played the last 5 games for myself at Spal before stopping. ”
What about the conclusion?
" Difficulties are helpful and necessary in the process of growth and learning. I was lucky to face these difficulties at such a young age and have the help of my dad. When he passed away at the age of 23 in 2010, I was ready, he was ready for my life and therefore for everything I will go through later. The pain in teenage years is crucial, and it is these experiences that allow me to overcome the huge difficulties I encountered in my life as an adult. ”