Fiorentina announced the heartbreaking news on social media that their General Manager, Joe Barone, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 57 in Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital.
Barone’s sudden and tragic demise followed a critical medical emergency on Sunday afternoon, just hours before Fiorentina’s Serie A clash against Atalanta at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, where he suffered cardiac arrest.
Following the incident, he underwent emergency heart surgery on Sunday, and although Fiorentina initially reported that Barone, aged 57, was on life support, he tragically succumbed to his condition. His birthday would have been tomorrow, on March 20.
Born in 1966 in Pozzallo, Sicily, Barone moved to New York with his family at the age of eight. He made significant contributions as an Italian-American director, notably assuming the role of Fiorentina’s General Director after Rocco Commisso’s acquisition of the club from the Della Valle family in the summer of 2019. Prior to his tenure with Fiorentina, Barone served as the vice president of the New York Cosmos from 2017.
Fiorentina issued a poignant statement, expressing profound sorrow and acknowledging Barone’s impactful role in the club’s recent history. The statement read:
“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 at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan after suddenly falling ill on Sunday.
“Rocco Commisso and his family, Daniele Pradè, 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. 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.”
