Key Soccerlytics Insights:
- Giuseppe Rossi has staged a remarkable return to form having missed over an entire season of football due to an ACL injury
- "Pepito" has scored 14 goals for Fiorentina so far this season, trailing only Luis Suarez, Diego Costa, Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Europe's top 5 leagues (See BSports Goal Scorer Charts below)
- Prior to Rossi's ACL injury at Villareal in October 2011, he was widely considered the best player in Spain's La Liga (outside of Real Madrid and Barcelona), following a 2010/2011 season within which he scored 32 goals in 56 appearances (in all competitions), and was close to a move to Barcelona
- Prior to his injury, Rossi's transfer market value would have been at least double, but more likely triple the paltry 10M Euro fee Fiorentina eventually paid for his services a year ago during the January transfer window
- Fiorentina's investment in Rossi was astute, and an example of one way clubs of modest means (relatively speaking) can find value in the transfer market when they can afford to wait for quality players to return from injury. In Rossi's case, the wait for his rehabilitation was certainly worth it
- Italy national team manager Cesare Prandelli will be as delighted as anyone to see Rossi come back to what looks like his best form ahead of the World Cup, where the coach will look to finally play his preferred strike-force of Rossi and Balotelli
Goal Scorers charts from BSports (Updated through 1/2/2014):
