Fiorentina director general Joe Barone insists there was ‘never any doubt’ coach Vincenzo Italiano would sign a new contract and denies ‘fake news’ the club is for sale.
The Viola had a tense few weeks dealing with the extension for their tactician, who was poached from Spezia last summer after Gennaro Gattuso walked away.
He finally agreed terms this afternoon and signed the deal until June 2024, with an option to extend for another season after that.
“We are super happy,” Barone told the official Fiorentina website.
“I want to thank Vincenzo, there was never any doubt, we just worked on it, he returned this morning from Sicily and we signed the agreement to plan for the future.”
Barone, the right-hand man of President Rocco Commisso, also took the opportunity to shoot down reports in Calciomercato.com that a Saudi consortium was ready to purchase Fiorentina for circa €350m.
“It is important to make very clear that Fiorentina is not for sale. I repeat, Fiorentina is not for sale, despite the fake news put about during a period in which we are working to prepare for next season. These stories only hurt Fiorentina.”
Italian-American businessman Rocco Commisso bought the Serie A club from the Della Valle brothers in 2019 and has become increasingly frustrated with the red tape making it impossible to either build a new stadium or reconstruct the existing Stadio Artemio Franchi to make it a more modern arena.
There are plans afoot to revamp the stadium, but those are funded and organised by the local council.
BARONE, ACF non è in vendita. Ringrazio il mister https://t.co/1G4Sdeu7nl
— Firenzeviola.it (@firenzeviola_it) June 22, 2022