In an escalation of their increasingly bitter feud, Torino President Urbano Cairo is suing Fiorentina patron Rocco Commisso, who promised legal action in retaliation.
The pair have often clashed in public and private over the last couple of years, having fundamentally different views on how Serie A and Italian football in general ought to develop.
The situation has been made more complicated by the fact Cairo is the chief of RCS media group, which includes La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Cairo today announced he is suing Commisso for “repeatedly accusing him of being the inspiration behind a supposed denigratory campaign” by his media enterprises.
“The persistence shown by Commisso in this defamation left the President of RCS with no other choice, as he felt the need to defend the honour and prestige of the media companies so unfairly attacked.”
In response, Commisso released his own lengthy statement via the official Fiorentina website that promised he would sue Cairo for the “unfounded and slanderous” suit.
Commisso claims he has not yet received formal notice of the legal action and that Cairo would need to seek permission from the FIGC first before suing another club President.
The Italian-American businessman assures he still has “admiration and respect for Torino and its fans.”