Rocco Commisso has died

Fiorentina announced today that club owner Rocco Commisso has passed away at the age of 76. All of us here at Viola Nation offer his wife Catherine, children Giuseppe and Marisa, and the rest of his family and friends our condolences.

Commisso bought Fiorentina from the Della Valle brothers in 2019. After a rocky start to his tenure, the club reached 3 finals in 2 years and seemed to be back on an upward trajectory before this miserable season began. While Commisso was fiercely protective of his privacy, it’s difficult not to see his withdrawal from the organization over the past couple years as a symptom, especially amidst the numerous rumors about his health that leaked out during that stretch.

It remains to be seen what will happen to Fiorentina. Catherine, Giuseppe (despite being on the board), and Marisa haven’t been involved in running the club and may not want to take on such an enormous burden while they grieve a husband and father.

For now, Alessandro Ferrari will continue at the helm, with Fabio Paratici taking over in February. What that means for Fiorentina after this season is a mystery but a sale in the next year or two seems the likeliest outcome. Out of respect, I won’t speculate further here.

I won’t pretend that VN’s always had a great relationship with Commisso but he’s woven himself indelibly into the fabric of the club and I reiterate my condolences for to his family and friends, both now and in the days and months ahead.