Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis will lead a revival for Bari, after being awarded the sporting title by the city’s mayor.
The Galletti were declared bankrupt this summer, so they were unable to register for Serie B and all their players were released.
Under Italian sporting law when a team goes bankrupt the mayor if its city can appoint new owners to lead a phoenix club.
That club is entitled to claim the history of the previous one, but has no claim on the assets and must start again in Serie D, the highest amateur league.
Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis will lead a revival for Bari, after being awarded the sporting title by the city’s mayor.
The Galletti were declared bankrupt this summer, so they were unable to register for Serie B and all their players were released.
Under Italian sporting law when a team goes bankrupt the mayor if its city can appoint new owners to lead a phoenix club.
That club is entitled to claim the history of the previous one, but has no claim on the assets and must start again in Serie D, the highest amateur league.
The name must also be changed, but can be bought back later as happened with Fiorentina, who were Florentia Viola for a time after being re-founded.
This process is not uncommon in Italy, as Parma went bankrupt in 2015 before being re-founded as Parma Calcio 1913, and after successive promotions are now back in Serie A.
De Laurentiis was competing with Lazio President Claudio Lotito for the right to run the phoenix club, but it’s the Partenopei patron who has won the day.
“I received the sporting title on July 23,” Antonio Decaro explained at his Press conference this evening.
“I was responsible for keeping the sport in Bari and in these days I spoke with everyone, fans, Presidents, companies and executives.
“This activity has led to a result which I believe is a success because I didn’t expect all these offers, there were 11 and I want to thank everyone who participated.
“For the final choice the responsibility is solely mine and I want to thank the commission.
“I have a clear conscience about this choice, there’s no mathematical formula but I can sleep easy because I gave everything to this.
“I thought only of the good of my city and of the fans who asked me for competence, transparency and respect. I think I have respected these parameters.
“I chose Aurelio De Laurentiis because he has economic strength and because he has sporting competence.
"He is the person with whom I fought the most, I made requests and we had confrontations.
"I think we'll argue a lot, as he doesn't have an easy character, but if a person argues with the person who can give him a sporting title it means he's a real, sincere person – a little crazy, perhaps, but sincere.
"Now my work is done and I go back to the only work I know how to do in football: that of the fan.
"We'll start from Serie D on pitches of earth and stone, and I'll go to see some games.
"Finally, I want to thank some people: Claudio Lotito, for his crash course on the world of football; then a President of a Serie D team; and finally everyone who is tied to Bari.
"De Laurentiis has said he wants someone on the new board who has been suggested by the city."
De Laurentiis has experienced this situation before, as he refounded Napoli as Napoli Soccer in 2004 after the Partenopei went bankrupt.
In 2006 the Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli name was restored, and the Vesuviani are now consistent Scudetto challengers in Serie A.
As the rules currently stand, De Laurentiis would have to sell one of Bari or Napoli if the Galletti to manage to reach Serie A.