Fiorentina MOURNS as President Rocco Commisso Passes Away at 76
Fiorentina owner Rocco Commisso dies at 76 after long illness. His legacy includes UEFA finals, massive investments, and a club transformed.
Rocco Benito Commisso, the Italian-American entrepreneur behind Mediacom and the owner of Fiorentina since 2019, died on Saturday at the age of 76 following an extended period of medical care.
The club shared a heartfelt message confirming the news:
With immense pain and sadness, the Commisso family – his wife Catherine, children Giuseppe and Marisa, and sisters Italia and Raffaelina – announce the passing of President Rocco B. Commisso. We miss you and will always miss you.
— Fiorentin
Earlier, Fiorentina had revealed that Commisso was receiving treatment for his health. Their statement also read:
After a long period of treatment, our beloved president has left us, and today we all mourn his passing.
— Fiorentin
Born in Calabria in southern Italy, Commisso moved to the United States when he was 12 years old. His takeover of Fiorentina in 2019 marked a significant turning point for the club, notably through his major investment in a cutting-edge training facility costing over €100 million. This complex, inaugurated in 2023, will now be named in his honor.
Highlighting his lasting impact, the club said:
The Rocco B. Commisso Viola Park, home to Fiorentina, will forever bear his name. It stands as an indelible mark of his affection and desire to shape the future for young players.
— Fiorentin
Under Commisso's leadership, Fiorentina featured in two UEFA Conference League finals in 2023 and 2024, reached the semi-finals of the same competition in 2025, and advanced to the Coppa Italia semi-final in 2023. Despite these cup successes, the team currently finds itself in the relegation zone of Serie A.
Apart from football, Commisso founded Mediacom in 1995, becoming its chairman and CEO. His distinguished career in cable television spanned nearly five decades and earned him a spot on the Forbes 400 list.
Before launching Mediacom, he worked at Pfizer, Chase Manhattan Bank (now JP Morgan Chase), and the Royal Bank of Canada.
Beyond his involvement in Italian football, Commisso bought a majority stake in the New York Cosmos in January 2017. The family sold the majority share in July 2025 to North Jersey Pro Soccer but still retains a minority ownership in the club.
