Fiorentina Announces the Passing of Rocco B. Commisso

VIOLA PARK, Italy--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With great pain and sadness, the Commisso family, together with his wife Catherine, children Giuseppe and Marisa, and sisters Italia and Raffaelina, announce the passing of President Rocco B. Commisso.

After a prolonged period of medical treatment, our beloved President has left us, and today we all mourn his passing. For his family, he was an example and a guiding light, a loyal and faithful man who, alongside his wife Catherine, reached the milestone of 50 years of marriage, and who was a strict yet loving father to his children, just as his character was: gentle and determined.

His love for Fiorentina was the greatest gift he gave himself, spending unforgettable days with the boys and girls of the youth teams, always offering a caring gesture and a smile to everyone. Tireless, he worked until his final days, dedicating himself to his companies, Mediacom and Fiorentina, and to their future.

Football was his passion, and Fiorentina became so seven years ago, when Rocco took charge of the Viola club and began to love its supporters, its colors, and the city of Florence. “Call me Rocco,” he had simply said to everyone, with his extraordinary empathy. He was always close to Florence and the Florentines, in everyday life and also during the most difficult period of the Covid emergency, when the “Forza e Cuore” campaign provided substantial donations to the city’s hospitals.

The Rocco B. Commisso Viola Park, the home of Fiorentina, will live forever bearing his name—an indelible symbol of his affection and his desire to look toward the future of young people. The boys and girls who grew up under his guidance in the youth academy, have won trophies and continue their journey with Fiorentina’s men’s and women’s first teams. Under his leadership, Fiorentina reached two UEFA Conference League finals and one Coppa Italia final.

The Commisso family wishes to thank all those who stood by him during these delicate moments and is certain that the memory of Rocco will remain forever in the hearts of the many people who loved him and who shared both difficult and beautiful moments with him.

A heartfelt thought in this moment of great sadness goes to everyone at Fiorentina—staff, players, and employees—to all those who knew Rocco, to the entire Viola community, and above all to all the boys and girls who will continue to carry the Viola colors and the memory of our Rocco throughout Italy and the world.

We miss you and we will miss you always.