Bari, Luigi De Laurentiis breaks the silence: «Bringing the team back to Serie A is my goal»

After weeks of silence, Luigi De Laurentiis, president of Bari, speaks again. He does so in a press conference held a few days after the conclusion of the Serie B championship, taking stock of the season just ended and outlining the first guidelines for the future of the club. “The silence was necessary to reflect and plan – he explained – The one just ended was a championship full of regrets. We were a feared team, but we lost too many points along the way. In January we were among the clubs that spent the most, only Palermo invested more than us. The players who arrived were explicit requests from Longo. The conditions were there to do much better”.

De Laurentiis also returned to his project for the club: “My desire is to leave Bari in Serie A, but also to ensure that it stays there. I am not willing to sell the club to just anyone. To grow, you need a quality squad and the entry of reliable partners. We are open to evaluating any offers from serious buyers”. On the technical front, the president confirmed his confidence in the new coach: “Fabio Caserta has enthusiastically embraced our project. He is a motivated, ambitious coach, and I hope that in Bari he can get a lot of satisfaction. I want players in the team who choose this shirt with conviction”.

De Laurentiis also touched on the subject of protests and disappointment among fans: “I understand the criticism, especially related to the timeshare issue, but I ask the public to stay close to the team. We need unity, otherwise we risk transmitting a negative image that can harm everyone”. Looking back, De Laurentiis admits: “After the season in which we arrived two minutes from Serie A, it was difficult to start again. I admit that some choices were conditioned by a lack of clarity. Then we also came close to being relegated to Serie C. It was a complicated journey, we always try to make as few mistakes as possible”.

He closes with a message to the city and the fans: "Bari needs a united square. I hope that the environment will come together again, because ambition must not be lacking. The goal is to return to fighting for the playoffs and build something solid, long-lasting and successful".