“I’m a distinct animal,” says Rocco Commisso. “I hope they respect a distinct animal. And in the event that they don’t respect that, screw them.” The American billionaire and proprietor of ACF Fiorentina, a well-known however underachieving Italian soccer membership, is reflecting on his relationship with the staff’s supporters, gamers, different membership homeowners, the media, the entire rattling world.

It’s a crisp, vibrant November afternoon in Florence, and we’re consuming spaghetti in a non-public room on the highest ground of the five-star Westin Excelsior resort. Ground-to-ceiling home windows present panoramic views over the historic metropolis that gave delivery to the Renaissance. The panorama is punctuated by red-tiled roofs and the scarlet dome of the Duomo.