Fiorentina president Rocco Commisso believes he did good business by selling Federico Chiesa to Juventus, following the players recent move to Liverpool. Speaking with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Commisso talked about his business dealings with the Old Lady, suggesting they are a team that always come up with the money, despite having been critical of the Bianconeri’s debt levels:
You love Italy and are a big football fan, but reasoning only as an entrepreneur: would you buy an Italian club again?
“I don’t regret anything. I had many offers to invest in America and Europe, but I wanted to do it in Italy because it’s my country of origin and I don’t lose enthusiasm even if to move forward you never stop spending. Then the fans get offended if you say: ‘I put in the money and I decide what to do for the good of the club’. But one thing is certain: I leave bankruptcy to others… It won’t happen with me. I won’t leave Fiorentina in a financial path without a future.”
You bought 11 players, as in many other clubs many purchases arrived only in the last days of the market, with the championship already started for three matchdays. Coaches ask that the market close before starting to play.
“I agree with them. They train teams in retreat that will change in the following weeks, some players pull out, others are distracted and false starts are risked. The federal president should be the bearer of these instances in UEFA and FIFA.”
Of your many purchases who intrigues you the most?
“Those I haven’t seen on the field yet…”
When you arrived in Florence you said that one of your dreams was to have a Fiorentina able to provide many players to the National team. Today you have many young people in the various Azzurri selections.
“Yes, thanks to our youth sector and new purchases: Kayode, Sottil, Ranieri, Comuzzo, Martinelli, Kean, Bove, Colpani, Cataldi… and I apologize if I forget someone. They are young and strong, they will help us and Italy. Viola Park will help us bring a couple of elements to the first team squad every year.”
Were you sorry to see players leave at the end of their contract, like Bonaventura, who have been part of your viola cycle?
“Absolutely yes, because affectionate relationships are also created. But perhaps you want to ask me if I did a good job with the sales of Vlahovic and Chiesa?”
I was about to do it… Do you think you did a good job?
“I say yes.”
You often argued with Juve, but you also did a lot of business with them…
“Well, if it’s the only team that comes forward with money, what should I do… (laughs, ed.). We made a great deal with Vlahovic, the most important in my five years. And look at Chiesa: I read that he went to Liverpool for 12 million. We sold him for almost 60… Who made the deal, the others or Rocco?”
The fact that after leaving Fiorentina they haven’t had great fortunes, deep down does it please you?
“No, not that. They made their choices, we got the maximum profit. I wanted to keep Vlahovic, but with his agent it was impossible to find an agreement. When I arrived, Chiesa had already been sold to Juve and I held him back. But he wanted to leave and I promised him that the following year he would be sold. But on our terms.”
In Florence there is much discussion about a word: ambition. In your opinion, is this Fiorentina that came out of the market ambitious?
“I believe so, we took 11 players, an entire team. Let’s give time to Palladino. I’ve always said that the goal is to do better than the year before. We finished eighth and we want to go up. For me it’s a stronger Fiorentina compared to last year. With the arrival of a mix of young and experienced players on an already important base. Now they have to understand the methodologies of the new coach, but I’m very confident.”
Let’s go back to your biggest regret: the owned stadium.
“It’s a pain not to have succeeded in these 5 years in convincing the administration and local politics to let me build an owned stadium instead of renovating the Franchi. But in Italy there is ‘the monuments agency’ (he defines the superintendence of cultural heritage like this, ed.) and we couldn’t do what we wanted. It’s absurd after 100 years not to be able to make a new stadium in Florence or near Florence. What can I say? I don’t control the bureaucracy, but politics hasn’t helped Fiorentina in the modernization process. Abroad wherever we go we find modern stadiums. We instead play inside a monument. And we can’t get the necessary resources that a new facility would guarantee. Without the owned stadium it’s impossible to increase revenues: the alternative is to get into debt, but that’s not how companies are managed and kept healthy.”
Is the idea of participating today in the renovation of the Franchi, having in exchange the management for 99 years, really set aside?
“Yes, the Municipality has taken the State’s money, now let them finish the renovation. Unfortunately if the times are not respected, the fans and Fiorentina will suffer the consequences.”
If you had done it would it have been among the most beautiful stadiums in Europe?
“I can’t say that. In Europe there are many beautiful ones, based on different user bases. With consequent costs: that of Tottenham for example cost a billion, a figure without return for Florence. But certainly it would have been a modern facility, perfect for football, multifunctional, usable 365 days a year: it would have brought revenues and would have been a flagship like Viola Park is today.”
A message for the fans waiting to see you again in Florence?
“We have fantastic fans, before the Conference final in Athens I went to greet them and they moved me: I had chills and tears. We didn’t manage to make them rejoice in the end, but we’ll try again. I ask them to always stay close to the team and the club, to support the purple colors but to let me be the president, taking with my staff the best choices for the club. My goal is to grow Fiorentina, keeping it healthy. I will never leave it in bad waters.”
It’s not the first time in this chat that you talk about how you will leave Fiorentina: are you thinking of selling it?
“Absolutely not, Fiorentina is a matter of heart and has our maximum commitment: my wife Caterina and I love Florence. But ownerships change over time, it’s physiological. When one day it will happen, Fiorentina will be, as now, a company without debts, solid, with important structures, like Viola Park and hopefully also a new stadium.”
In Viola Park there is a lot of Joe Barone’s work to whom the main building was dedicated. He was not only your operational right-hand man, but also a person very dear to you and your family. How much do you miss him?
“A lot. It was a misfortune to have lost him. He helped me a lot in many years together. He did a great job for Fiorentina in the company, in the League, at Viola Park. Now his commitment is being continued by GM Alessandro Ferrari, who has always been close to him in these years, and DS Daniele Pradè. We all dream of lifting a trophy to dedicate to Joe. We hope to succeed this year”
