Sir Alex Ferguson is back for one day only to aid one of his former players.
The legendary Manchester United boss has been away from management for more than a decade, retiring in 2013 after almost 27 years in charge of the Red Devils.
It will be an emotional day for Rossi when he sees Ferguson, who took him to Man United as a teenager, in the dugout
2
It will be an emotional day for Rossi when he sees Ferguson, who took him to Man United as a teenager, in the dugoutCredit: Getty
During that time, he guided the club to 37 trophies, including 13 league titles and two Champions League triumphs.
Almost 12 years on from his final match as Red Devils manager, though, Ferguson will make a comeback in Italy.
The 83-year-old is set to coach a team in Giuseppe Rossi's farewell match, the former striker has claimed.
Rossi's retirement will be celebrated with a match at Fiorentina's Stadio Artemio Franchi on March 22.
READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
A host of former teammates and Serie A icons are expected to feature, including Luca Toni, Antonio Cassano, Sebastien Frey, Borja Valero and Gabriel Batistuta.
They will be joined by Ferguson, who signed a teenage Rossi for United, which saw him leave Parma in 2004.
The ex-Italy international, who hung up his boots in 2023, revealed: "Ferguson will be there as a coach. He was my first coach, I signed when I was 17.
"I only did three years with him and played little, but he immediately said yes and this shows what kind of person he is.
"I did little at United but he treats me like Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 1,000 goals."
American-born, Rossi was quickly earmarked as one to watch when thrust into the reserves, having won the Jimmy Murphy Player of the Year and the Denzil Haroun Reserve Team Player of the Year awards during his first two seasons at the club.
The Italian made 14 first-team appearances under Ferguson, who gave him his debut in 2004
2
The Italian made 14 first-team appearances under Ferguson, who gave him his debut in 2004Credit: Getty
Rossi was handed his senior debut by Ferguson, against Crystal Palace in a November 2004 League Cup tie before going on to score four goals in 14 first-team appearances for the Red Devils.
He also won the League Cup during his time at the club before leaving for Villarreal in 2010 after loan spells with Newcastle and Parma.
Speaking to the UTD Podcast, Rossi recalled how he still feels love from the fans.
“They’ve always supported me, they still do today. I only played 16 games with Manchester United, but they still show me so much love, even today.
“It just shows how much they love the club, I’m sure David [May] gets stopped every single second, they always remember the players if you play hundreds of games like David, or 16 games like me.
“I came back to train last year, a year-and-a-half ago with the guys and people were like, ‘wow, Giuseppe’ and I was like: ‘you guys still remember me? Wow, okay, cool’. I had to leave a bit of a mark I guess.”
Nicky Butt REVEALS Sir Alex Ferguson prevented him from joining Real Madrid whilst at Manchester United
It was during his six years in Spain that Rossi earned the nickname 'Pepito', and his farewell match has been dubbed 'Pepito Day'.
And he has been catching up with another former United player as he was spotted training with David de Gea now of Fiorentina. "ReUNITED on home turf," the goalkeeper posted on Instagram along with a picture of the two.
After leaving Villarreal, Rossi returned to Italy with Fiorentina before retiring two years ago aged 36 following spells at Genoa, Real Salt Lake City and Italian side SPAL.
Rossi's career also saw him score seven goals in 30 caps for Italy including two strikes at the 2009 Confederations Cup.
The farewell match, though, will not be the first time Ferguson has returned to the dugout since leaving Old Trafford.
Read More on talkSPORT
He previously made a comeback in 2019 for a United legends match against Bayern Munich.
The fixture saw the Red Devils win 5-0 as they marked the 20th anniversary of their 1999 treble.