Fiorentina Director General Joe Barone Hospitalized in Critical Condition Ahead of Atalanta Match

Fiorentina's Director General, Joe Barone, is hospitalized in very serious condition at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan after suffering a sudden illness around 3 PM while he was at a hotel in Cavenago di Brianza, a few hours before the violet's match with Atalanta at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo. Shock in the violet group and the club immediately asked to not play the match, which indeed has been 'postponed to a date to be determined,' as appeared on the stadium's big screens around 5 PM one hour before the kickoff. Joe Barone, who is the general manager of Fiorentina taken ill before the match with Atalanta. Barone had a cardiac arrest and was assisted by the Fiorentina staff, in particular by the team doctor, who immediately called emergency services. At that moment, Fiorentina was in retreat at the 'Devero Hotel', not far from the A4 and was waiting for the transfer to Bergamo for the match. Barone's conditions - a United States citizen - immediately appeared very serious: for this reason, the emergency services dispatched a medical car and ambulance, with which the Viola's DG was transferred to the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan in a red code. The doctors have reserved prognosis and the manager is hospitalized in intensive care. Fiorentina immediately asked the Serie A League, in agreement with Atalanta, to postpone the match. One hour before the meeting, the Football League issued an official note with the postponement. However, as there was less than an hour left until the start of the match, many had already arrived at the stadium. There, the announcement was also read through the loudspeakers and the stewards invited those present to leave the sports facility. There were a few timid boos. It is not yet known when the match can be recovered, given also the very tight schedule of the two teams involved in European cups and Fiorentina also in the Italian Cup. In fact, Fiorentina had not yet reached Bergamo: staff, managers, and players remained apprehensive about the health conditions of their general manager. Memories immediately went to Davide Astori, the defender who died in a hotel in Udine before a match, due to a heart problem in 2018 at the age of 31. The coach, Vincenzo Italiano, the sports director, Nicolas Burdisso, the captain, Cristiano Biraghi, and other players reached the San Raffaele, while Barone's family members - his wife living in Florence and the four children in the USA - set off to reach their loved one in the hospital. 'Director General Joe Barone is currently hospitalized in the cardiac surgery intensive care unit of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, led by Prof. Zangrillo. The clinical conditions are critical but stable,' said Fiorentina in a note on the manager's condition struck by a severe ailment in the afternoon. 'Barone is currently treated with the most advanced therapies in terms of support and support of cardiac function. A new update will be released tomorrow,' concludes the note.