sport news Tributes pour in for Fiorentina general director Joe Barone, with clubs and ... trends now
Fiorentina general director Joe Barone has died at the age of 57.
The Italian club announced on their website that the executive had passed away on Tuesday after he fell ill at the team's hotel in the hours leading up to their their Serie A match against Atalanta on Sunday.
The game was subsequently postponed with Barone being taken to the San Raffaele hospital in Milan for medical treatment.
Fiorentina said in a statement: 'It is with deep sorrow and immense sadness that Fiorentina confirms the loss of one of its figureheads, a person who has marked the recent history of the club and who will never be forgotten.
'General Director Giuseppe Barone passed away today [Tuesday] at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan after suddenly falling ill on Sunday.
'Rocco Commisso [the club's owner] and his family, Daniele Prade, Nicolas Burdisso, Alessandro Ferrari, Vincenzo Italiano, Cristiano Biraghi and everyone associated with Fiorentina are utterly devastated by the terrible loss of a man who showed great professionalism and gave his heart and soul for these colors.
Fiorentina general manager Joe Barone has died at the age of 57, the club has confirmed
The Serie A side wrote on their website that they were 'utterly devastated by the terrible loss of a man (left) who showed great professionalism and gave his heart and soul for these colors'
'He was a treasured friend who always stayed strong in the happiest and, above all, the most difficult moments.
'The entire Viola world sends its heartfelt condolences to Giuseppe’s wife Camilla, his children and the entire Barone family during this time of immense sorrow.'
Barone, who would have turned 58 on March 20, was born in Sicily before emigrating with his family to New York at the age of eight years old.
After Italian-American billionaire Commisso bought the Serie A side back in 2019, he hired his former colleague Barone to take over as the club's general director.
Prior to then, Barone had also worked as the New York Cosmos' vice president, taking the position in 2017.
He had been overseeing the creation of Fiorentina's new state-of-the-art training centre, Viola Park, that opened in October 2023.
Barone (left) here pictured alongside Franck Ribery (centre) after unveiling the arrival of the French forward back in 2019
Figures from Italian football have paid tribute to Barone (centre), including Serie A president Lorenzo Casini, who said: 'Italian football loses an outstanding managerial figure'
In a statement online, Serie A paid tribute to the Fiorentina general manager. The league wrote: 'Lega Serie A expresses its
