His name is Giuseppe Rossi; typical italian name.
There are thousands of Giuseppe Rossi in Italy but this one is different.
He's gifted. He was born in the US, his parents being from southern Italy, and he came back to Parma when he was 12. One year later he started his career. He's a football player.
Parma, Manchester when he was 17, Newcastle, Parma again and then Villareal and Florence.
An expatriate like thousands of italians in the early 19th hundreds that had to motivate himself and always proof he was good enough to be there.
When he starts at Manchester he's playing with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Diego Forlan, Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs just to name some.
A lot to learn, a lot to fight.
But he's gifted. He's a striker and he can score. He scores a lot of goals both in his team and in the National team. In 2008 after his 1st injury, a meniscus broken, he's 21 and he's preparing for his 1st World Championship.
That's THE EVENT.
A player has probably the possibility to play two World cups. A good one three.
16 players could play four editions, 2 played five.
Giuseppe is 21. He has 10 years at least in front of him. 10 years are 3 World Cups.
But Marcello Lippi, a semi-god after he won the 2006 edition, decides it's not his time yet.
He stays home and Italy comes quickly back from South Aftica after one of the worst world cup ever for the team.
For the 2012 European championship though there is a new Italy manager, Prandelli, that thinks Giuseppe must play.
He's now playing for Villareal. 32 goals in one season and he's the top scorer ever for the Yellow submarines, so is Villareal known for its yellow shirts. The first "human player" after the two aliens Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi that play for super teams though. Real and Barça.
That's what Italy needs to remember another Rossi, Paolo Rossi, that brought us to the top of the world in Spain 1982.
26/10/2011, Madrid. During Real Madrid vs Villareal a ligament of his knee breaks. 6 months out. There's still time though for the Euro Cup in Summer 2012. But the recovery will be long and tough.
Giuseppe is a strong guy though. He went around the world since he was 12 and he lost his father few months earlier. He had to do it for him.
The day after his ligament was back and now 6 months of pain. Out of the pitch for the recovery.
Winter goes by quickly and in April Giuseppe is ready again. But it's not over yet.
The 12th of April he's doing his training and... crack. Same knee, same ligament. 6 more months out.
This would have killed everybody's hope.
But Giuseppe is strong. And Fiorentina thinks he can do it and although he's still out, signs him for the 2013/2014 season.
And he's back on duty on August 2013. Goal to Catania. Then 2 goals to Genoa, 3 to Juventus and 2 to Sampdoria.
He's the usual Pepito, the nickname that was given to him when in Spain was one of the top scorers.
5th January 2014.
A tackle and his knee goes bad again. 4 months out.
I think that you must ask yourself why this is happening.
What "God of the football" you have insulted to make him hating you so much. Where you can find the strength to restart, again, for the 3rd time in 3 years. Always alone in a team game.
Resilience. Giuseppe has got a lot of it. And a lot of motivation.
Football world cup in Brasil is waiting for him. Football at the top level and he deserves to be there.
He's back again on May and ends the season with an impressive 16 goals in 24 games.
He's on the 30 players of the Italian team that will be shortlisted to 23.
On June 2nd the final list. Giuseppe is not there because he's not been considered ready after the last injury and he tells everybody he does not agree.
He will probably have his last chance in Russia in 2018.
Cheer up Giuseppe!!! You'll do it.
Ah... I could not run the Cortina Dobbiaco last week.
6 months of training and 600km gone. My meniscus was broken. The little devil won but I'll try again next year. I will have much more chances than Pepito to do it.
Have a nice week end