ROME, Jan 17 — American media mogul Rocco Commisso, the owner of Italian football club Fiorentina, has died aged 76, the team said on Saturday.

Commisso, who also formerly owned the New York Cosmos soccer club, was the founder of Mediacom Communications, one of the largest cable TV providers in the United States.

Born in Italy, he moved to the United States with his family as a child and went on to build a business empire, amassing a fortune estimated by Forbes at US$5.9 billion (RM23.93 billion).

“It is with great pain and sadness that the Commisso family announces the loss of (club) president Rocco B. Commisso,” Fiorentina said in a statement, adding that he had undergone “prolonged” medical treatment.

Commisso purchased Fiorentina in 2019 and took an active role in the club’s affairs, investing in a new €120 million (US$139 million; RM564.45 million) training centre and fighting to restore them to their 1950s and 1960s glory, when they won two Italian championships and two European trophies.

Under his ownership, the Florence-based club, which turns 100 next season, reached three finals – the Italian Cup in 2023 and Uefa Europa Conference League in 2023 and 2024 – but lost them all.

Fiorentina, which finished sixth in the Serie A last year, have been having a tumultuous season and are currently languishing in 18th place.

Commisso owned the Cosmos, the former club of Brazilian football legend Pele, from 2017 to 2025. — AFP