Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images
It had seemed like Fiorentina were making progress with the Viola Park, the new sporting center that owner Rocco Commisso has so publicly desired since buying the club, regretfully abandoning the Stadio Artemio Franchi in favor of a brand new project. He’d optioned property in nearby Bagno a Ripoli and seemed to have built a good understanding with mayor Francesco Casini. He’d gotten all the pertinent paperwork into and out of the labyrinthine Italian bureaucracy. He’d met with architects and builders to develop plans. He’d even attended the groundbreaking ceremony.