Football
Ben Gladwell, Italy correspondent 8y

Fiorentina striker Giuseppe Rossi delighted after goal-scoring return

Giuseppe Rossi hailed a "fantastic evening" after scoring his first goal since May in Fiorentina's 4-0 Europa League win over Belenenses on Thursday.

Rossi, who started only his third game of the season, completed the 90 minutes and got back on the scoresheet as he continued his comeback following a succession of injury setbacks.

The former Manchester United forward told La Gazzetta dello Sport: "What a fantastic evening, both for the three points and for the way we played.

"I think we've given continuity to our recent performances as a team, and this is very important.

"On a personal level, the most important thing was getting to play 90 minutes, and then of course the goal, which finished off a great team move.

"I'd like to thank the coach [Paulo Sousa] for giving me the opportunity to play these 90 minutes."

Rossi said Sousa was "doing a great job and making everybody feel part of the group" and said the club's strong morale was being reflected in results.

Sousa said he was delighted by Rossi's 90-minute return, telling La Gazzetta: "This is a step forwards which will give even more confidence to him and to all of us.

"Giuseppe is a lad with an extraordinary heart and he's got through two extraordinarily difficult years [with injury problems], and it is for this reason that we all want to see him fit and well because if he's well, then we're all well."

Rossi has made only 27 appearances in more than two-and-a-half years at Fiorentina, scoring 17 times.

Earlier this week, he agreed to a basic salary cut with more money to be paid in bonuses for appearances and goals.

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