Aurelio De Laurentiis will have to sell either Napoli or Bari in the next two years after losing his appeal against multi-ownership rules.
The movie mogul had wanted to revitalise Bari following bankruptcy and they have marched their way up already from Serie D when he purchased the club in 2018 and will be in Serie B for the 2022-23 season.
The previous rules barred one person from owning two clubs in the same division, a situation that came to a head when Salernitana and Lazio were both in Serie A and run by Claudio Lotito for six months this term.
New legislation from the FIGC is even stricter and forbids one person or company from owning two clubs in the same sport.
De Laurentiis, who has been at the helm of Napoli since their bankruptcy in 2004, today saw his appeal against the rule rejected by the Federal Court of Appeal.
Technically, Bari are under the guidance of Luigi De Laurentiis, Aurelio’s son, but that was not enough to get around the rules.
The family must therefore sell one of the two clubs by the start of the 2024-25 campaign.
Considering the cost-cutting exercises at Napoli and his growing unpopularity, it’s entirely possible De Laurentiis will choose to sell the Partenopei and focus his resources on Bari.