AS Roma withdraws from the tournament due to UEFA Europa League Qualifier obligations
NEW YORK – Relevent Sports Group (RSG) announced today that ACF Fiorentina will participate in the 2019 International Champions Cup (ICC), the premier summer club soccer tournament. The announcement comes less than a week after Italian-American businessman Rocco Commisso completed the purchase of the historic Italian club. ACF Fiorentina replaces AS Roma, who withdrew from the tournament due to UEFA Europa League Qualifier obligations.
Fiorentina will play in three matches across the United States. The team’s schedule includes:
- Tuesday, July 16 – ACF Fiorentina vs Chivas de Guadalajara – SeatGeek Stadium, Bridgeview, IL
- Saturday, July 20 – Arsenal vs ACF Fiorentina – Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
- Wednesday, July 24 – ACF Fiorentina vs Benfica – Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ
“As a proud Italian American, I can think of no better way to introduce myself as the new owner of ACF Fiorentina than to play in the International Champions Cup,” said ACF Fiorentina’s President, Rocco B. Commisso. “I am especially excited for Fiorentina’s match on July 24th in Harrison, NJ, as the New York metropolitan area is where I grew up, played soccer, founded my cable company, Mediacom Communications, and continue to live today.”
ACF Fiorentina, also known as La Viola (The Purple One), is a legendary Italian club with a rich history in Serie A. Regarded as one of the top clubs in Italian football, a group affectionally known as the “Seven Sisters,” ACF Fiorentina has won both Italian and European championships. ACF Fiorentina is one of the fourteen European teams that played the finals in all three major continental competitions including the Champions League, the UEFA Cup Winners and the UEFA Cup.
“Rocco Commisso has given the ACF Fiorentina fans an idea of the type of owner he will be; bold, ambitious, and focused on success,” said RSG Executive Chairman Charlie Stillitano. “With AS Roma needing to step away, Commisso jumped at the opportunity to have his club play three great matchups this summer and we can’t wait to welcome them back on America soil.”
On June 6, the club announced that Rocco Commisso, Italian American chairman of Mediacom, is its new owner. ACF Fiorentina’s participation in the ICC is one of the first actions Commisso took in his new reign over the club.
AS Roma has been a long-time participant in the ICC but was forced to withdraw due to UEFA Europa League Qualifier obligations.
“We were delighted to once again receive the invitation from the ICC to play in the tournament, and were very much looking forward to participating,” said AS Roma Chief Executive Guido Fienga. “We looked at every available option in order to avoid withdrawing, however, in the end the decision had to be made in light of next season’s commitments. I apologize to all the fans hoping to come and watch us this summer. We share your disappointment, but I want to assure you all that we will return soon.”
Fans who had bought tickets for any of the matches involving AS Roma will be able to retain their tickets for the matches involving Fiorentina or request a refund within the next 14 days.
ABOUT RELEVENT SPORTS GROUP
Relevent Sports Group (RSG) is the premier soccer events and media business in North America and Asia. RSG operates the International Champions Cup, the summer’s largest club tournament featuring the world’s best teams in iconic venues. Regarded as one of the most influential privately-owned soccer companies internationally, RSG is focused on expanding its footprint, creating a year-round soccer platform including new properties, the ICC Women’s and Futures tournament, Alianza de Futbol, the leading marketer and producer of Hispanic soccer programs in the U.S, and the first-of-its-kind joint venture with LaLiga to promote soccer in North America.
ABOUT INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONS CUP
The International Champions Cup is the world’s premier annual summer soccer tournament featuring the top international clubs playing across North America, Europe and Asia. The tournament brings world-class soccer to the masses by organizing marquee matches that attract record-breaking crowds – including the largest recorded attendance for a soccer match in the United States. Founded in 2013, the tournament’s seventh installment will feature 12 of the top clubs in the world playing 18 matches in 16 cities across the globe, along with the second Women’s International Champions Cup and second International Champions Cup Futures event featuring top youth players from around the world. Champions Meet Here.
