Giorgio Rossi exhibition opens to honour Roma's legendary masseur
An exhibition dedicated to Giorgio Rossi, AS Roma's historic masseur who died in 2018, was inaugurated today at Centro Culturale Espositivo 'La Vaccheria' by Roma Club Eur Torrino on the occasion of the club's 25th anniversary. Rossi spent 55 years at Roma, from 1957 to 2012, working with generations of the club's greatest players including Agostino Di Bartolomei, Bruno Conti, Giuseppe Giannini, Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi. He remains the only person to appear in photographs of both Roma's 1983 Serie A title and their third Scudetto in 2001, eighteen years later. During his career Rossi witnessed 12 AS Roma presidents, 26 managers, 15 captains and over one thousand players. He accumulated 18 trophies across Serie A titles, cups and supercups — more than any other Roma player in the club's history. The exhibition traces his life through photographs, newspaper articles and memorabilia, with the upper floor housing a dedicated section featuring signed shirts, pennants from the Scudetto-winning seasons, his historic tracksuit and a banner that hung in the Tribuna Tevere during his final match at the Olimpico on 5 May 2012. Former Roma defender Ubaldo Righetti, speaking on behalf of Mayor Gualtieri, said: "It has been the greatest honour, deeply moved that I cannot be here. Being here today is an immense emotion, I wear two roles and both speak of affection, esteem and gratitude — and perhaps in this too I must thank Giorgio. He was the historic and unforgettable masseur of Roma. A man who for years with his hands, his commitment, his smile and above all his love for Roma accompanied moments of our sporting and human history. He did not cure us only physically but also mentally. To his family goes our closeness and the most sincere thanks of the entire community for what Giorgio gave to each of us." Righetti recalled his first encounter with Rossi: "Once the changing rooms between youth and first team were divided by the massage room. Giorgio gave massages there, sometimes I would pass by and look in and he would tell me 'it is not yet time, go go'... my greatest objective was to get on that bed. When I succeeded for the first time it was the most beautiful day of my life." Former Roma athletic trainer Vito Scala said: "He was a master for me, every day I stole with my eyes what he did and how he conducted himself. If I became Vito Scala it is thanks to him. Not only in the professional aspect, but in the human and protective aspect, he treated all the boys the same way." Bruno Conti concluded with a wish: "Giorgio was a great man, always smiling and never angry. My hope, even if I am no one to make this happen, is that we might name the physiotherapy centre at Trigoria after Giorgio Rossi." A film documenting Rossi's life, featuring testimonies from Giuseppe Giannini, Daniele De Rossi and Francesco Totti, is available for viewing during the exhibition.
