Bari, new "yes" from Maita and Pucino will also remain in red and white

BARI - Hours of waiting at Bari. It is up to the owners to communicate choices and programs for next season. In order, the identification of the budget , clarity on the names to whom to entrust the market area (sports director) and then the technical leadership. For the first point, it is not difficult to imagine that the figures allocated by Filmauro will be, more or less, superimposable to those of the previous season. That is, too little to be able to aspire to play in the championship of those who want to win. President Luigi De Laurentiis has often stressed that the club cannot afford to have accounts out of control and that it is unthinkable to keep up with foreign owners. All true. But will there be a middle ground between those who do crazy things and what the people of Bari have to swallow? Is it possible that, in the midst of an emergency in January, you cannot afford to invest 250 thousand euros for a defender playing in the Serie C championship? Is it possible that having seen dozens of games live, in every corner of Italy, has not given birth to a single market operation? These are also the arguments behind the clamorous detachment of the fans from the football team. Winning remains the most complicated job in the world. But in Bari you can't help but try. For real, though. And not by starting each season with the motto "let's hope that God sends us good things". No, this can't be the path to take. Aiming for Serie A involves other choices and, above all, other attitudes.

There have been very reliable rumors that tell of the renewed trust that De Laurentiis would have given to Giuseppe Magalini and Valerio Di Cesare. The ninth place was and remains a failure, no updates on the matter. However, the idea of ​​rejecting market men after only one season is difficult. The group built was unanimously considered capable of achieving the playoff objective. Net of errors of evaluation that are clear for all to see. And errors, when you have to manage a budget that is clearly lower than the clubs that play to win the championship, must necessarily be taken into account. The confirmation of Magalini and Di Cesare, in short, is not exactly a punch in the eye. It can happen.

Meanwhile, something is moving in terms of building the squad. Mattia Maita, tied to Bari with a contract until 2026, has extended his contract by one year, with an option for the following year. To be honest, this is not a recent operation. Let's say it should have been at least two months ago. Maita remains an excellent prospect for Serie B and also last season he confirmed that he can be a central figure in the technical-tactical project. Even with the limitation of his poor ability to make an impact in the offensive phase, in terms of goals and assists. The confirmation of Benali, which came automatically after a certain number of appearances, was already known. In the middle of the field, the coach will be able to count on two reliable players.

Raffaele Pucino's contract expired on June 30th. But he too will still wear the red and white jersey. A renewal that was taken for granted for quite some time, with the defender who is preparing to experience his fifth consecutive season with the Bari jersey. A reliable player, full-back or marker in a three-man defense, Pucino also guarantees a good dose of personality. With more than 300 games in Serie B it couldn't be otherwise.

Obviously these cannot be the operations capable of warming the hearts of the fans. Much more will be needed if the De Laurentiis really want to try to reach out to the people of Bari.