NY Cosmos owner Rocco Commisso profiled on 60 Minutes

Rocco Commisso, owner of both the New York Cosmos and Serie A side Fiorentina, had an entire segment on CBS’s 60 Minutes this week. The Italian immigrant to the United States purchased both clubs after amassing a net worth over $8 billion.

Commisso, as detailed in the profile, is one of the most famous American soccer club owners in Europe. Part of that is a credit to the size of Fiorentina as a club. However, other parts are due to his flamboyant nature and failure to back down to the media. For example, Commisso often gets into a heated conversation with reporters during press conferences.

However, Commisso is committed to the things he owns. For example, the 60 Minutes story showed a massive new training facility for his Fiorentina players.

While there was no discussion of his ownership of the New York Cosmos, the same passion and personality for Rocco Commisso extends into American soccer. He has a pending federal antitrust lawsuit against US Soccer Federation and Major League Soccer. Commisso alleges that US Soccer, as the governing body of soccer in the United States, employs anticompetitive practices designed to favor Major League Soccer.

As owner of New York Cosmos, Commisso has spent millions in legal fees to continue the case against US Soccer. His New York Cosmos are a staple of American soccer with a storied history. However, the club was denied access to be a division two side. Moreover, he bought the Cosmos when it was in financial ruin.

Rocco Commisso features on 60 Minutes

In Europe, there are more and more Americans owning teams. Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, West Ham and five more Premier League clubs have American owners. The trend exists in Italy, too, with Commisso just one of eight Americans or American groups to have a majority stake in a Serie A club.

The 60 Minutes story talks about Commisso’s heritage, and is worth a watch if you want to see business become passion. Paramount+ is currently offering a free 7-day trial so you can watch the episode in its entirety. Plus, the streaming service includes NWSL, Serie A and UEFA Champions League, to name just a few of the many leagues it broadcasts.

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