Bari, Nesta now ready to say "yes": yesterday the meeting with De Laurentiis

BARI - Luigi De Laurentiis has decided. It seems better. Bari has decided to speed up the coaching issue. So much so that yesterday the top red and white executive took to the field to meet Alessandro Nesta, who for a few days had seemed to be in pole position . The former world champion defender accepted the interview because he certainly has no intention of closing the door a priori. Nobody likes to abandon Serie A after just one season (a negative one after the relegation on the Monza bench), but it is also true that someone like him can only have a terrible relationship with defeat and that, therefore, the desire for revenge could push him to accept a challenge that is, yes, very complicated but also fascinating. For the prestige of the square and the passion of the fans.

Nesta had an initial exchange of opinions with Giuseppe Magalini and Valerio Di Cesare, who decided to focus on a motivated coach and, above all, one with a strong personality. What is needed to manage a fibrillating environment and a team group that will need a confident and authoritative guide. Nesta has good championships in Serie B behind him (Perugia and Frosinone in the playoffs, a quiet salvation in Reggio Emilia with a team with limited technical qualities). They say that he doesn't like selling smoke and that he thinks of football as something not particularly convoluted. He is not the classic coach who thinks he invented football, on the contrary. And he doesn't even think that the players are less important than the technical guide.

Nesta could say "yes" today. Obviously after having obtained that minimum of guarantees to make the beginning of a journey credible (in these parts, talking about a project has become an acrobatic exercise). First of all, the contract. Nesta, evidently, aims to impose a two-year obligation. On the other side, there would have been some resistance, perhaps in fear of finding himself managing a Longo-bis. And, therefore, possibly to tie the renewal to the achievement of the objective. Which one? Nobody expects substantial changes. Bari will start the season to obtain a place in the playoffs. Which can be all or nothing. More often nothing, evidently. Eighth place means mid-table. A quiet salvation, little more. The exact opposite of what the people of Bari would like to experience. Here we should ride the wave of ambition. And instead we have to talk about slowed-down management. Without the drive and courage of those who have only one thing on their mind: trying to win the championship.

Then there is the Longo issue. The Turin coach is tied to Bari for another season, with a fairly "heavy" salary. The red and white club hopes to be able to resolve the issue with the least possible damage on the economic level. The only viable option is for Longo to find another team and, consequently, need to free himself. But if this were not the case, it is difficult to imagine an agreement could be reached. After all, why should the coach resign? One can discuss the work done and the results. Certainly not his commitment to the cause and his professionalism. Contracts should always be respected. Even when coaches are the ones who are crafty, of course.