Giovanni Rosso
Encyclopedia
Đovani Roso born 17 November 1972 is a former Croatia
n football
player of Croatian
and part Italian
ethnicity. Roso was a midfielder
, who preferred to play on the center-right flank of the field. He finished his footballing career at Hajduk Split. Roso is known in Israel for his technique and freekicks.
Roso was born in Split
, Croatia
, (then as SR Croatia, part of SFR Yugoslavia), in a family, whose grandfather was of Italian
origins. He played for NK Zagreb
between 1994 and 1996 before moving to Israel
.
Roso enjoyed great success in the decade he played for top teams in Israel, including a campaign in the UEFA Champions League
with Maccabi Haifa
. He's acknowledged as being among the very best foreign players ever to play in the Israeli Premier League, as well as for his lively personality and prominent sense of humour.
Roso's form in 2004 got him called up for Croatia
, so he played for his birth country at Euro 2004
. It was only later, in 2005, that he finally obtained Israeli permanent resident status. However he could never play for the Israeli national team, since he had already played for Croatia.
Roso speaks fluent Hebrew, and stated numerous times that he plans on coming back to live in Israel
at the end of his football career.
In media, his name is often Italianized to Giovanni Rosso, due to its origins.
His return to Hajduk Split was ruined by injuries. He only ended up playing four times in the Croatian first league. He retired from club football in June 2009. It was reported that he is to take up a coaching job at Hajduk.
He appeared as the Pit Stop Greeter of Leg 3 in HaMerotz LaMillion 2
, which took place in Dubrovnik.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player of Croatian
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
and part Italian
Dalmatian Italians
Dalmatian Italians are a mostly historical Italian national minority in the region of Dalmatia, part of the Republics of Croatia and Montenegro.-Characteristics:...
ethnicity. Roso was a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, who preferred to play on the center-right flank of the field. He finished his footballing career at Hajduk Split. Roso is known in Israel for his technique and freekicks.
Roso was born in Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, (then as SR Croatia, part of SFR Yugoslavia), in a family, whose grandfather was of Italian
Dalmatian Italians
Dalmatian Italians are a mostly historical Italian national minority in the region of Dalmatia, part of the Republics of Croatia and Montenegro.-Characteristics:...
origins. He played for NK Zagreb
NK Zagreb
NK Zagreb is a Croatian football club, from the Croatian capital of Zagreb.NK Zagreb's home is the Stadion Kranjčevićeva with capacity of 8,850. The club's fans are known as the White Angels...
between 1994 and 1996 before moving to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Roso enjoyed great success in the decade he played for top teams in Israel, including a campaign in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
with Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Haifa F.C.
Maccabi Haifa Football Club is an Israeli football team from the city of Haifa, a section of Maccabi Haifa sports club. The club has won 12 championships, 5 State Cups and 4 Toto Cups...
. He's acknowledged as being among the very best foreign players ever to play in the Israeli Premier League, as well as for his lively personality and prominent sense of humour.
Roso's form in 2004 got him called up for Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
, so he played for his birth country at Euro 2004
2004 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in...
. It was only later, in 2005, that he finally obtained Israeli permanent resident status. However he could never play for the Israeli national team, since he had already played for Croatia.
Roso speaks fluent Hebrew, and stated numerous times that he plans on coming back to live in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
at the end of his football career.
In media, his name is often Italianized to Giovanni Rosso, due to its origins.
His return to Hajduk Split was ruined by injuries. He only ended up playing four times in the Croatian first league. He retired from club football in June 2009. It was reported that he is to take up a coaching job at Hajduk.
He appeared as the Pit Stop Greeter of Leg 3 in HaMerotz LaMillion 2
HaMerotz LaMillion 2
HaMerotz LaMillion 2 will be the second installment of the Israeli version of the American reality show The Amazing Race. The series features 11 teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world to win ₪1,000,000....
, which took place in Dubrovnik.
Honours
- Israeli Championships (4):
- 1998-99, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05
- Israel State CupIsrael State CupThe State Cup , is a knockout cup competition in Israeli football, run by the Israeli Football Association.The State Cup was first held in 1927–28 as the Palestine Cup...
(1):- 1997
- Toto CupToto CupThe Toto Cup is an association football tournament that exists separately in the two highest divisions in Israel: the Premier League and Liga Leumit....
(1):- 2001-02
- Israeli Player of the Year (2):
- 1998-99, 2001–02