Rocco Commisso, the new owner of ACF Fiorentina, has announced that he is looking to refurbish the Serie A club's Stadio Artemio Franchi home, reports, www.sportspromedia.com/.
Having purchased the team for a reported €160 million (US$180 million) earlier this month, the Italian-American billionaire, who is the chairman of cable broadcaster Mediacom, confirmed he will seek to bring the 43,000-seat stadium closer in line facilities at leading European soccer clubs. The Stadio Artemio Franchi opened in 1931 and was last renovated in 1990.
Commisso told SportBusiness: "I have objectives to invest and win something in addition to investing in the infrastructure, including the existing stadium.
"What's lacking in Italy is the infrastructure. We need to improve it."
The new owner is also planning to grow Fiorentina's brand in the US market. The club's first venture will see it play in this summer's preseason tournament the International Champions Cup after the withdrawal of fellow Italians Roma.
"It can't be done overnight," added Commisso. "We're not AC Milan or Juventus, but it is part of our strategy to develop the brand and increase the revenues in order to buy better players.
"The revenue streams in Serie A are about a third of the Premier League and I see a lot of opportunity."
