ALUMNI/AE
ALUMNI: PLAYING TO WIN
Giuseppe B. Commisso ’00
SOCCER
It was a moment when Giuseppe B. Commisso more
board as the general manager, bringing years of experience in running a professional team (the New York Cosmos), developing players, and building relationships. After trials and tribulations
fully understood his celebrity status in Italy.
continued through several coaches and their ranking lacked
He had just posted a picture on Instagram of him and his
much upward movement, Commisso and Barone hired Vincenzo
girlfriend, Erica, enjoying a meal at Alpemare Beach Club in
Italiano as head coach in 2021. Under Italiano’s lead, Fiorentina
Forte dei Marmi, a seaside town in Tuscany, Italy. The already
finished as high as 7th place and played in two consecutive UEFA
attentive service seemed to grow even more gracious, and then
Conference League finals, in 2023 and 2024, setting a league
the beach club’s owners, world-renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli
record. However, the team lost both European finals, and, this
and his wife, visited them at their table. Bocelli grew up in
June, Italiano left the club. He was replaced by new head coach
Tuscany and happens to be a fan of Italian soccer. Giuseppe’s
Raffaele Palladino, who successfully coached another Italian
father is the owner of ACF Fiorentina, based in Florence and the
Serie A team, AC Monza, from 2022 to 2024.
most successful first division professional soccer team in the Tuscan region. Giuseppe was a very welcome special guest. This is the case for owners of professional soccer clubs throughout Europe. But depending on a team’s success, or lack of, fans are fickle—supportive and joyous when their team is winning but
“Fans are fickle—one day they love you, the next day they don’t. WE’VE
raucous and harsh when a season is souring.
BEEN ABLE TO MANAGE THE TIDE
Fiorentina fans were not at all happy in the spring of 2019 as
SO FAR. They like what we’ve done
the team was struggling and ranked in 16th place in the Serie A League. When Giuseppe’s father, Rocco B. Commisso, purchased the team in June of that year, fans had great hope that the Commisso family would turn things around. Giuseppe moved to
with Rocco B. Commisso Viola Park and the team.”
Italy and joined Fiorentina’s board. Joe Barone was brought on
SUMMER 2024 •
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