Lorenzo Amoruso gives the wake-up call: «Caserta is fine but Bari deserves more»

BARI - In a hot summer for Bari, between hopes of relaunching and old wounds still open, Lorenzo Amoruso returns to speak with the frankness that distinguishes him. The former red and white defender analyses the new course branded Caserta, coach chosen to lead a team called to rediscover enthusiasm and identity. While the transfer market enters the heat and the names linked to Bari multiply, the long shadow of multi-ownership remains, an unresolved issue that continues to condition investments and ambitions. Amoruso does not hold back and comments on the first moves of the company, reflecting on the prospects of an increasingly competitive Serie B championship. Without hiding his concern for the rift between fans and management. An intervention that is also an appeal. For a Bari that returns to being a protagonist, clarity, passion and a real project are needed.

Amoruso, what do you think of Fabio Caserta's choice?

"I know Caserta well. I played against them. They did extremely well in Catanzaro. A coach is nothing more than a means to improve the team, if you have a group to work with. And Bari, at the moment, doesn't have that."

The transfer market has just begun, but there are already many names linked to Bari. What kind of profiles should the club look for to strengthen the squad?

"In practice, no one is arriving yet. The teams that go up to Serie A always have a player pool with a good mix of young players and experienced players who know the category or with a past in Serie A that allows them to know how to manage a stressful championship like Serie B. You have to exploit the exuberance of the young players and the wisdom of the older ones. When you play, the coach is a subordinate. The players go on the pitch. For years, Valerio Di Cesare saved Bari. We need people like him, capable of transmitting the importance of playing for the shirt and the city. In addition to managing certain moments during the games."

In your opinion, which departments need more urgent interventions? And what characteristics must the new Bari have to be competitive in Serie B?

"The problem is that Bari doesn't have a team. Talking about departments makes little sense. More than strengthening, you have to build. The key points must be the goalkeeper, the defense, two midfielders and a central striker. We need to see how Caserta wants to play and what the club has promised them and will make available to them."

The multi-ownership continues to be a brake for the club. How much does this situation weigh on the team's ambition and planning?

"If the players arrive at the last moment, it becomes problematic for Caserta to put them together. In a few days we leave for the retreat. At least fifteen elements are needed."

After the recent press conferences of De Laurentiis, Magalini and Di Cesare, have you perceived any signs of clarity or change from the ownership regarding the future of Bari?

"The president said that in three years he wants to take the team to Serie A. I assume that they want to do it to earn more money. I think that's their intention. I don't know if the fans agree. In the end, the facts speak for themselves. To go up, you need investments. What we saw last year wasn't so normal. Let's see what happens this year. The recent interventions by Luigi De Laurentiis and the sports directors seem more circumstantial and make me think about the urgency of selling in the best conditions. I don't perceive the desire to make a strong team or to start a major transfer campaign. Going up to Serie A? It's not that easy."

The Serie B championship promises to be very balanced once again. Where can this Bari realistically arrive, net of the corporate unknowns?

"At the moment, the red and whites are among those who need to save themselves. Unless it all happens in the market. Otherwise, you remain in limbo and if everything goes well, you stay out of the relegation zone."

There is a clear rift between the fans and the club. How can this relationship be mended? And how important is public support for a winning project?

"I hear from many friends from Bari. They say they want to give up going to the stadium. People are tired and realize that the attitude of the owners is not satisfactory. You can't throw money left and right, but you can do better than the last two years. At the moment, the fracture seems difficult to heal. The only way is to have a transfer campaign that can at least give people a little satisfaction. That is, fight with the strongest to try to move up. If this doesn't happen, it's unlikely that people will return to San Nicola. Aurelio De Laurentiis' past press conferences haven't made him look good in the eyes of the fans who, now, are waiting to understand what's happening. At the moment, I can't see any positive signs."

As a former footballer and football man, what message do you feel you should send to Bari fans in this delicate moment?

"We have to wait, because sooner or later the right opportunity will come to return to the levels they deserve. That is, playing permanently in Serie A in a historical period in which Puglia is in a moment of great expansion and investment. I know for sure that there have been requests to buy Filmauro. Offers sent back to the sender in the face of an excessive assessed value compared to the current one. All that remains is to wait."

Have you ever thought about offering a direct contribution to Bari, perhaps in a managerial or technical role? Would you like to be part of a relaunch project?

"Of course, but I don't know who or if anyone will arrive. The current ownership has made it clear that they don't like any of the old flags. Bari is Bari, I could never say no."

Finally, if you had to indicate an absolute priority for Bari today, what would it be? Technical, corporate or communication?

"The communication problems are external, but not internal. We don't know with what promises Caserta was taken. He presents himself as a very positive coach and, for this reason, he was asked to coach a proactive group in terms of play."