Barone’s Ill health leads to Fiorentina vs Atalanta postponement

The Serie A clash between Fiorentina and Atalanta scheduled for Sunday evening has been postponed by the League.

The decision came after Fiorentina’s general manager, Giuseppe “Joe” Barone, fell ill, prompting Serie A to announce the match’s delay to a later date. According to the Italian top flight’s statement, the fixture, originally scheduled for a 6 pm local time kickoff, has been moved “to a later date” yet to be confirmed.

When approached by AFP, Serie A confirmed that Barone’s illness was the catalyst for the postponement, with Italian media reports suggesting he may have suffered a heart attack.

Reputable Italian sports publication Gazzetta Dello Sport reported that Barone, a Sicilian-born American who has been a long-time colleague of Fiorentina president Rocco Commisso, was rushed to Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital from the Bergamo hotel where the Fiorentina team was staying ahead of the match.

The postponement comes at short notice to both teams, with Fiorentina currently sitting eighth in the Serie A standings, four points behind sixth-placed Atalanta, who occupy the coveted Europa Conference League spot. Fans and pundits alike were eagerly anticipating this clash as a potential turning point in the race for European qualification.