Serie A mourns Rocco Commisso’s death

Tragic news has shocked the city of Florence and all football fans overnight.

Rocco Commisso, the Italian-American president of Fiorentina, has passed away at the age of 76.

The Viola announced the news in a long and touching statement: “With great pain and sadness, the Commisso family, his wife Catherine, his children Giuseppe and Marisa, and his sisters Italia and Raffaelina, announce the passing of President Rocco B. Commisso. After a prolonged period of treatment, our beloved President has left us, and today we all mourn his passing.”

“For his family, he was an example, a guide, a loyal and faithful man who, alongside his wife Catherine, celebrated 50 years of marriage. To his children, he was a strict and loving father, as was his own character: sweet and decisive.”

The statement reads: “His love for Fiorentina was the most beautiful gift he ever gave himself, spending unforgettable days with the boys and girls of the youth teams, always with a caress and a smile for everyone. Unstoppable, he worked until his final days, dedicating himself to his companies Mediacom and Fiorentina and their future. Football was his love, and Fiorentina became his seven years ago when Rocco took over the Viola club and began to love its fans, its colors, and the city of Florence.”

And finally: “Call me Rocco,” he simply told everyone, with his extraordinary empathy. And he was always close to Florence and the Florentines, in everyday life and even during the most difficult period of the Covid emergency, when the “Forza e Cuore” campaign allocated significant donations to city hospitals. The Commisso family would like to thank everyone who has supported them during these difficult times and is certain that Rocco’s memory will forever remain in the hearts of the many people who loved him and who shared both difficult and wonderful moments with him.”

“Our deepest thoughts at such a sad time go out to everyone at Fiorentina: staff, players, employees, everyone who knew Rocco, all the Viola fans, and above all to all those boys and girls who will continue to bring the purple colors and the memory of our Rocco to Italy and the world. We miss you and will always miss you.”