Chicago and Toronto also lasted a long time but they didn't draw all that well. I think Commisso is now living in Florence.
Makes sense, his friend Rudy Giuliani isn't in the federal government anymore. Why bother coming back?
And just how much revenue was really generated by the few teams with good attendance? Even adjusting for inflation the ticket prices were relative peanuts in the 70s, and most teams weren't gouging their fans for parking and other things, yet. An MLS case in point was that Curt Johnson in the last ECG interview I did with him in Kansas City (maybe 2005?) admitted that the Wizards needed to draw 18,000 at Arrowhead to reach break-even. Yet, Sporting Park was built by OnGoal only to hold 18,500. The difference is that the average selling price per announced attendance at Arrowhead was probably in the 5-10 dollar range, and tickets at Sporting Park are significantly higher. There were, in fact, some very well attended NASL 1.0 games. But as over the years most of the posters in the weekly MLS Attendance threads in this forum forgot - business success isn't measured in attendance by net revenues. The reason we began the weekly attendance threads is because MLS, as a private group of companies, wasn't giving out financials. We had a decent handle on the major expenses (travel, player/staff wages, facility rents, etc...), but almost no good information on league revenues. We did, however, have attendance figures, and with pretty much everybody renting (even if, in the case of teams like NE and KC they were just "renting" from themselves), using attendance as a relative proxy for revenue was the best we could do. Now, attendance is less apples to apples. Teams that own their own stadiums - or control revenues for them - aren't playing by the same rules as renters. And ticket prices today for major league sports are generally higher than in the 70s when adjusted for inflation. And ancillary revenues today are way up.
When I lived in Florence, I mostly dealt with real estate. Rather buying vineyards, estates , farmhouses and villa's for wealthy American companies and conglomerates. Their Florentine motto always was, "its easy to buy, not easy to sell".
Chicago lasted 10 seasons. Toronto had a NASL Team every season from 1971-1984, however, they also had 3 different teams during that time span (with different names). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Soccer_League_(1968–1984)
Rocco is having a normal one today! Fiorentina owner Rocco Commisso just gave an epic ranting press conference where he attacked local journalists. Here’s a short clip where he tells one that he doesn’t want to talk to him and just gave him a red card https://t.co/wqYnpsDYFm— Francesco (@FRANCESCalciO_) May 14, 2021
USL filed a motion to intervene in the NASL v. USSF/MLS antitrust case for the purpose of moving to seal/redact certain confidential info about USL's business operations. The number of lawyers associated with this case grows ever larger. pic.twitter.com/sV8dALX6H9— Steven Bank (@ProfBank) May 14, 2021
Didn't he get mad with American Journalists for not investigating his claims about the USSF, MLS, NASL, etc... Something about them taking it easy unlike in Europe....
In the first part of the intereview, he said he blamed himself for listening to the press and succumbing to pressure from the media when he fired Beppe Iachini for Prandelli. He bascially said he shoulnd't have fired Beppe in the first place.
He's Dan Borislow 2.0. His Italian is one of the funniest shit I've ever heard. You could tell he's figuring out the correct words to say from that old noggin he has.
Rocco Commisso was born in Marina di Gioiosa Ionica in 1949. He immigrated to the USA at age 12 and has a Calabrese -American accent. Considering he grew up and went to school stateside , his Italian isn't all that bad. When I lived in Florence, many Florentines spoke worse than he did with their horrible Tuscan accents. Heck even I spoke better Italian than most locals when I moved to Florence in 2001 and I was born in San Jose California and hadn't been to Italy since I was 9. That was only for a summer trip to visit relatives. The Florentines speak the worst Italian. Interestingly, when I moved back to California after 3 years , I had a Tuscan accent too and it sounded kind of funny. He is right to be pissed off though. He spent and lost a killing in the last two years because of Covid. Other owners like Lotito with Lazio, Parma , Benevento , Spezia and Atalanta owners bought their clubs for either 0 or a minimal amount. Even Della Valle his predecessor inherited a club for 0 and they made their way up to the Serie A from the C2 , even skipped a dvision jumping from the C2 to the B in 2003 and were graced. He currently doesn’t have the same luxury.
Meh, Italians in Florence find his accent funny too. It's kind of like reverse Brad Friedel's slurred British accent.
At least he can communicate with the press. Other owners like American James Pallotta at Roma , former Inter owner Erick Thohir at Inter or AC Milan’s , Elliott Management Corporation never have. I mean not without interpreter. Not sure if any of the Saputo family at Bologna has given many press conferences. Here are a few article in English on what took place at the press conference.... Rocco Commisso’s Press Conference turns into a monologue against journalists Fiorentina owner Commisso announces his ‘intention’ regarding Milan target Vlahovic
Or for questioning anything he said. I'm trying to remember the exact words he used on me in a teleconference ...
Rocco Commisso interview: FIFA is applying a double standard on Super League vs. MLS <<Puff Piece alert>> This is the entire gist of it: "I was left out at the big boy table, because Fiorentina is not the big boy club in Italy. Therefore MLS is just like the Super League because CONCACAF sets different rules than the rest of the world. Double standard!1!!1!" "Also I spent a lot more on lawsuits than my minor league soccer team which may not be back soon, anyway we probably need pro/rel, Infantino should force it in America, MLS owners don't care, MLS teams didn't produce Weston McKennie or Gio Reyna, Gulati sucks."
Would it be fair to mention that both McKennie and Reyna came through MLS academies, and that MLS teams are building them up more based on the success of these guys?
"And people aren't going to invest further down the food chain." It's actually amazing how much is being invested down the food chain. Maybe if Rocco hadn't been distracted by lawsuits he could have had a nice soccer specific stadium in Queens. Instead David Villa and Aly Wagner are getting the benefit.