ACF Fiorentina has been notified of the outcome of the pre-trial hearing that took place on 26 May 2022 in which the pre-trial judge, Giorgio Alfieri, determined that there is enough evidence for Andrea Di Caro to be committed to trial for defamation of president Rocco Commisso in the media. The judge also admitted Mr Commisso as the civil plaintiff. The proceedings relate to Mr Di Caro's article in La Gazzetta dello Sport on 15 May 2021 entitled 'Rocco's misplaced accusations. It's not the newspapers' fault if all the wrong choices are made'.

Awaiting the trial itself, Fiorentina and Rocco Commisso would like to express their satisfaction that the defence's arguments – which sought a 'no case to answer' verdict on the basis that the article in question represented a legitimate right to report – were not accepted.

While we respect everyone’s right to an opinion, we find such gratuitous attacks on an individual's reputation and the dissemination of harmful, discriminatory stereotypes about the Italo-American community to be unacceptable – and something we will always stand against.