Fiorentina general manager Italian American Joe Barone has died following a cardiac arrest, the club said Tuesday. He was 57. Barone fell ill on Sunday at the team hotel, shortly before Fiorentina’s match at Atalanta, and was rushed to a hospital in Milan. The Serie A match was subsequently postponed. Barone died at San Raffaele Hospital.
“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,” the club said in a statement. “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.”
