Youssef ROSSI
Presentation
Retired

Born | Jun 28, 1973 Casablanca, MOROCCO | ||||||
Age | 51 years old | ||||||
Size | 1.81 m | ||||||
Weight | 80 kg | ||||||
Position | Centre-back Right-back | ||||||
Arrival(s) |
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Departure(s) |
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Numbers | 5 | ||||||
Selections | Maroc A | ||||||
Career |
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In the Summer of 1997, Stade Rennais were to completely rebuild their defensive line, after the combined departures of Carteron, Mahé, Denis and Smith. Youssef Rossi arrived from Raja Casablanca in this context, along with striker Jinani. Centre-back by trade, the Moroccan international was one of the few positives in a Summer transfer window which was otherwise a real failure for Lefillatre. Better than Lévenard, Bedrossian, Di Costanzo or Hobsch, each more disappointing than the previous one, Rossi became first-choice at the heart of Rennes’ defence alongside Capron. Heroic, as were his team-mates, in the decisive match in the relegation battle at Toulouse (1-0 win), he then had a good World Cup with Morocco. He convinced Le Guen to keep him the following Summer, but he was left to fight with Brinquin over the right-back slot in the team. In this role, he played 21 matches as a starter until February. In the 1999/2000 season, he path to the First Team was blocked by Diatta, Réveillère and Escudé, and he was loaned to Nijmegen in Holland, before joining Dunfermline Athletic in June 2000.