In an interview with La Nazione last December, the Viola owner mentioned his health: “I’m always up to date, but I miss being in contact with the team, the players, Viola Park, and the people who work there every day.”

Rocco Commisso had never experienced a moment like this as president of Fiorentina. The Viola are bottom of the table, with zero wins after 14 games. They have changed their coach and sporting director, but the team is not responding and the city now fears a sensational relegation. The Italian-American, who has been at the helm of the club since 2019, has not set foot there for a long time due to health problems: “I miss being in contact with the team, the players, Viola Park, and the people who work there every day, but I’m always up to date,” he said in an exclusive interview with La Nazione. “I’m bitter that I can’t be in Florence to fight as I’m used to doing in difficult situations, but at the moment I wouldn’t be able to make such a long flight.”

I’m not giving up—  Fiorentina’s number one is back to speak out. His health is not supporting him, but that does not mean he is trying to sell the club: “These rumors only serve to further destabilize the environment when, instead, we need everyone to be united,” said the Viola owner. If I had thought this way every time I found myself in difficulty with one of my companies, Mediacom would not be the success it is today. All companies go through difficult times, but the foresight of those who lead a company lies in learning from the dark moments in order to come out stronger. I have never given up on any of my businesses, and I certainly won’t do so now.“
Confidence in Vanoli—Commisso believes in his managers, even if the league table is worrying: ”The people who work with me understand the dynamics perfectly and have been working in football for many years. Obviously, at the end of the season, everyone’s work will be evaluated, but right now, the people who work at Fiorentina have my utmost confidence. We are in a difficult situation and we have to get out of it at all costs; we cannot allow Fiorentina to go down.” Support also for coach Vanoli, who took over from Pioli. “He has my utmost confidence and is certainly not responsible for this situation. Paolo gave up his contract with Torino to come to Florence, accepting one that only lasts until June. He put himself on the line for Fiorentina and is working day and night to get us out of this situation: he has my full support, and we must all be on his side and help him in his work.”

Stadium—  Then there is the Franchi issue, a stadium-construction site: “It is penalizing us. The times are getting longer and playing with half of our fans is damaging for everyone. We hope that a shared solution can be found but, as I have always said, we need certain times and clear ideas on how to intervene and manage everything.” Finally, a message to the fans: “They understand the situation very well. They have chosen to put aside their deepest discontent to support us and help the team climb the table. I’m not talking about those who threatened our players: certain individuals cannot be called fans, and as a club, we immediately took action with the authorities to prosecute those who commit these shameful and unworthy acts.”