FLORENCE, Italy: American media mogul Rocco Commisso, the owner of Italian football club Fiorentina, has died at the age of 76, the club said on Saturday.
He was best known as the founder of US cable giant Mediacom Communications and as an influential American owner in football, notably after buying Italy’s Fiorentina in 2019, reports AFP.
“It is with great pain and sadness that the Commisso family announces the loss of (club) president Rocco B. Commisso,” Fiorentina said in a statement, adding that he had undergone “prolonged” medical treatment.
Commisso, who was born in Italy and moved to the United States as a child, was the founder of Mediacom Communications, one of the largest cable television providers in the US. He also previously owned the New York Cosmos football club.
A self-made billionaire, Commisso built a vast business empire, with Forbes estimating his fortune at $5.9 billion. In 2019, he purchased Fiorentina and took a hands-on role in the club’s management, investing heavily in infrastructure, including a new 120-million-euro ($139-million) training centre.
Under his ownership, the Florence-based club sought to reclaim the success of its golden era in the 1950s and 1960s, when it won two Italian league titles and two European trophies. Fiorentina reached three major finals during Commisso’s tenure — the Italian Cup in 2023 and the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2023 and 2024 — but fell short on each occasion.
Fiorentina, which will mark its 100th anniversary next season, paid tribute to Commisso’s commitment and ambition, crediting him with laying the foundations for the club’s long-term future.
