Fiorentina general manager Barone dies: club

Fiorentina's general manager Giuseppe "Joe" Barone died on Tuesday at the age of 57 after falling ill over the weekend resulting in his team's Serie A match being postponed.

Barone had been rushed to Milan's San Raffaele hospital on Sunday, resulting in Fiorentina's match at Atalanta being postponed to an unspecified later date.

"Everyone at Fiorentina is distraught for the terrible loss of a man who offered his professionalism, his heart and his passion for our colours," said Fiorentina in a statement.

"The entire 'Viola' world embraces his wife Camilla, his children and the entire Barone family in this moment of huge sorrow."

Barone, who was born in Sicily in 1966 but moved to New York City when he was a child, passed away a day before his 58th birthday.

He was a long-time colleague of Fiorentina president Rocco Commisso and had been a key part of the club hierarchy since the change of ownership in 2019.

td/ea