Rosso torn by Croatia call
Thursday, October 17, 2002
Article summary
Maccabi Haifa FC's Giovani Rosso, who has applied for Israeli citizenship, is now wanted by Croatia.
Article body
Rosso dilemma
Baric phoned the Croatian-born midfield player to call him up for the friendly match against Romania on 20 November. Rosso's dilemma is that he is set to be granted temporary residency after meeting with Israel's interior minister Eli Yishai, but is not guaranteed citizenship.
'Delicate situation'
He would be ineligible to represent Israel if he played for Croatia now. "I'm in a bit of a delicate situation," Rosso told the Jerusalem Post. "If I'm granted residency, it doesn't necessarily guarantee that I will play for Israel.
Quick decision
"On the other hand, if I turn down the offer to play for Croatia, I may never be called up again," he continued. "At the age of 30 I may end up not playing international football. I didn't give Baric a conclusive answer, but I'll have to decide fast."
