Former DS Regalia shakes Bari: «We need investments and ideas»

BARI - A failed season, a lost identity and a future hanging on the multi-ownership knot. Bari finds itself in a crucial moment in its recent history. Between corporate uncertainties and frustrated ambitions, the voice of Carlo Regalia, former red and white sports director, offers a lucid and profound reading of the club's present and prospects.

Director, let's start from the present. How do you judge the Bari season just ended in Serie B? What did not work in your opinion?

"I was often in Bari until a couple of years ago. I still have friends in those parts. Now I'm in Varese and I experience the team a thousand kilometers away. I saw it on television. That's why I don't feel like judging. It would be presumptuous. The difficulties of those who operated should be understood. Bari's place is in Serie A. To reach and maintain. Unfortunately, history says otherwise."

Bari closed the championship far from expectations. Do you think there were shortcomings on a technical, managerial or motivational level?

"It becomes difficult to explain and establish why things did not go as expected. It is clear that a city like Bari, which believes in football, is able to fill the stadium even in Serie B. The Bari fans are demanding. The current reality does not match their needs. Even the performance of the new players has not corresponded to what was seen in the previous season. And yet, it is quick to fill the San Nicola even with a team that is not exceptional. This says a lot about the potential of a place with an enormous induced effect".

The timeshare issue is back at the center of the debate. The FIGC has confirmed that it will no longer be allowed by 2028. How do you see this deadline for Bari, still tied to the De Laurentiis family?

"My experience says that the clubs that can do well are those with a chairmanship with personality, knowledgeable about football and who knows how to choose their collaborators well. Before hiring a centre-forward, you have to find the right person to buy him. The fan, rightly so, judges the work done by others. However, creating a valid team is a different matter. It is difficult and also depends on financial availability. The people of Bari give a lot and therefore ask for a lot."

In your opinion, has timeshare represented more of a brake or an opportunity for Bari in recent years?

"Over the years, many clubs have changed in Bari. There has also been a failure. A bit along the lines of the past. There has been a lack of continuity in victories that people deserve. You do well if all the pieces are in place. Starting with the sports director, continuing with a general manager, an administrator, the coach and the staff. The coach must be a man of character, who does not collapse at the first criticism or deny himself after defeats."

In view of the necessary sale of the club, what characteristics should the future buyer have to guarantee a solid and ambitious project?

"Before thinking about the team, you need to create the operators who must work to build it. Call the best, clean people who know how to do the job of a manager at the top. It will be up to these figures to realize the project. As was done in my time, focusing heavily on a youth sector capable of winning everything possible. The pool of young local footballers is the basis of everything. You can't always buy from outside. Then you need important coaches who have achieved great results in their careers despite having limited means".

Is there a risk that corporate uncertainty could negatively affect next season?

"There is no doubt. When the management is in trouble, the first to suffer is the locker room. Those who have responsibilities have the duty to make important choices."

Let's look at the market. Which departments should be urgently strengthened to build a competitive team?

"I don't know exactly. A winning group is made up of elements that blend together. You immediately think of the centre forward, but you should start from the base. From a strong defence with players aged 23 or under. Young and good. Resources that are difficult to find without valid observers. I have never believed in the loan policy and I have never wanted to follow it. I preferred to buy players who were owned, even generating a debt for the club. A liability that, by valorising the club's own resources, was immediately replenished with a profit far greater than the expenses. It's just a question of organisation. In Bari it can be done. The history of the club says so".

San Nicola has often been the scene of great passions, but also of protests. What role can the fans play in this delicate moment?

"You just have to have respect for the Bari fans. If people protest, it's because they feel betrayed. The concept may sound strong, but it expresses the truth. If they feel disappointed, the fans will gradually end up distancing themselves. It happens in Bari as in any reality that wants to live off football at certain levels."

You have lived Bari in different eras. What are the most evident differences between football today and that of your time, especially at the management level?

"I am not the custodian of the truth. The golden rule, I repeat, is to use a structured and knowledgeable organizational chart. You win with a group of operators who are up to the task. In my day, I did not have much liquidity. Nonetheless, we launched many young people into football that counts. To obtain results, good technicians and a quality staff were enough. With contracts that allowed them to work in perspective, over time. If you always lose, it is because the team is technically worthless."

Finally, a message to the red and white fans. What do you feel like saying to those who, despite everything, continue to believe?

"The fans must feel the team with the usual sense of belonging. I hope they can see better times."