Dead Rocco Commisso, president and owner of Fiorentina
He was 76 years old. His health condition was known, but there was hope in the town that he would see him again soon
Rocco Commisso, president and owner of Fiorentina, died during the night in the United States at the age of 76. The purple club gave the news in an official statement: 'With great sorrow and sadness, the Commisso family, with his wife Catherine, children Giuseppe and Marisa, and sisters Italia and Raffaelina, announce the passing of president Rocco B. Commisso. Commisso. After a prolonged period of care, our beloved president has left us and today we all mourn his passing'.
The news shocked Florence and the entire violet world. Commisso's health condition was known, but in the city the hope remained alive to see him again soon, back at the side of the team, the managers and the fans, who had always recognised in him an uncommon charisma and a solid and ambitious entrepreneurial vision.
Born in Marina di Gioiosa Ionica on 25 November 1949, Commisso had recently turned 76. As a child, he emigrated with his family to the United States, where he built an extraordinary entrepreneurial career that culminated in the foundation of Mediacom, which has become one of the world's cable system giants. According to Forbes, his fortune was estimated at around USD 8 billion in October 2023.
A great football fan, he had bought the New York Cosmos in 2017, but the turning point in his sporting life came on 6 June 2019 with the purchase of Fiorentina. With the purple club, he pursued the dream of a trophy for a long time, which he touched on several times with two Conference League finals and a Coppa Italia final. In the last summer he had invested more than 92 million euros in the market, in an attempt to give satisfaction to the fans in the centenary year, before fading away as the team went through a difficult time in the league.
His most tangible legacy remains the Viola Park, inaugurated in the summer of 2024 and always considered by him a source of deep pride. A sports centre conceived as 'the home of Fiorentina', destined to bear his name forever. Over 20 hectares, 12 training fields, state-of-the-art medical facilities, gyms and spaces dedicated to the youth sector and the women's team, for a total investment of around 120 million euro. A project that embodies his idea of the future, attention to youth and genuine love for Florence and Fiorentina.
