Fiorentina’s Barone: Our team plays well but we need to win games

Joe Barone, the right-hand man to Rocco Commisso, has spoken out after a meeting with the mayors of Florence and Empoli concerning the issue of the club’s future stadium.

During this meeting, Barone expressed his concerns and hopes for the team’s stadium. He stated, “We’re in discussions, hoping to clarify where Fiorentina will play. Of course, we have to protect our fans because we need to clarify the club’s future. It’s impossible to move the fans out of the city.”

According to Barone, the Mayor of Empoli provided his perspective on the issue earlier that day. The conversation touched again on the Padovani stadium issue.

As per Barone, there is a tentative timeline on the stadium issue. “The timelines for Padovani have been forecast and updated to be around December 2024 or January 2025. The key theme here is where we will play,” he continued.

Barone was emphatic about the difficulties of relocating outside of Florence, citing it as a challenge due to the financial strains. He made it clear that he aims to defend the interest of Fiorentina’s fan base. “Moving out of Florence is difficult, given the significant money we don’t want to waste: we must show utmost respect for our people,” he added.

Speaking about an upcoming key match, Barone said, “Ferencvaros? Yes, it’s an important match for the top spot in the group. The team is back to work today, as we have to be ready because it will be a tough match. Our team plays well, but we have to win matches. However, we are satisfied.”