Fiorentina president Rocco Commisso dies at 76

Rocco B. Commisso, president of ACF Fiorentina, has died at the age of 76. The announcement was published on the club’s official website on Friday, January 17. According to the statement, Commisso passed away in the United States, where he lived, after a prolonged period of medical care.

Born in southern Italy and later emigrating to the US, Commisso took control of Fiorentina in 2019. Under his ownership, the club reached two UEFA Conference League finals and one Coppa Italia final, marking one of the most competitive periods for the team in recent decades.

Alongside sporting results, Commisso invested heavily in the club’s infrastructure. His most significant project was Viola Park, the new training and development centre built in Bagno a Ripoli, on the outskirts of Florence, which now bears his name.

The club highlighted his close relationship with the city and its supporters, as well as his attention to youth teams and staff. During the Covid-19 emergency, he also supported fundraising initiatives for Florence’s hospitals and local services.

Who was Rocco Commisso

Born in 1949 in Marina di Gioiosa Ionica, Calabria, Rocco Commisso moved to the United States at the age of 12 and grew up in New York. After studying engineering and business at Columbia University, he built a career in finance and the media sector before founding Mediacom in 1995, which grew into one of the largest cable television operators in the United States.

A lifelong football enthusiast, he became majority owner of the New York Cosmos in 2017, rescuing the historic club from financial difficulties. Two years later, he acquired Fiorentina, becoming one of the most visible foreign owners in Italian football.

According to Forbes, his personal wealth was estimated at around 8 billion US dollars in 2023. He is survived by his wife Catherine, their children, and other family members. Fiorentina dedicated a message of condolence to his family, players, staff and supporters, underlining the lasting mark he left on the club and on Florence.

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