Michele Armenise «Bari? The De Laurentiis have a Ferrari in their hands but it is managed like a Cinquecento»

BARI - There is a silence that weighs more than a thousand words. It is the one that envelops the San Nicola, increasingly empty, increasingly distant. The fracture between the square and the De Laurentiis ownership is no longer a crack: it is a chasm. And while the fans announce their desertion and the city wonders about the future of Bari, there are those who decide to speak out. Michele Armenise, former red and white flag and now coach and trainer of young talents, breaks the silence and does so with the clarity of someone who has experienced football from the inside, but with his heart still anchored to his city.

At a time when the club seems to be sailing by sight, between a transfer market that is still muted and a sports project that is struggling to take off, Armenise's words come like a beacon in the fog to analyze a menu full of topics. From De Laurentiis' management, the prospects until 2028, the multi-ownership issue that continues to block every ambition, to a fan base that, although wounded, has never stopped loving. The intervention of the former red and white defender of the 1980s is not just a technical analysis, but an act of love. Because those who have worn that shirt know that Bari - beyond a team - represents an identity. And today more than ever, someone is needed to remember it.

Mister Armenise, let's start from the present. How do you judge the Bari corporate situation in light of Luigi De Laurentiis' latest statements?

"For five years, it seems like there is no longer a company. As much as we can be grateful to the De Laurentiis for having taken over the club after the bankruptcy, they then took advantage of it. They had a Ferrari in their hands that they manage like a Cinquecento. All they care about is making money. They care little about the fans. The goal is the playoffs? Ridiculous. They are only selling smoke in the hope of getting some season tickets. I think the fans have understood the game. It is absurd to treat Bari, after so many years in Serie A, like Napoli's second team. In a city as big as Bari, it is unthinkable."

The rift with the fans now seems unbridgeable. In your opinion, is there still room to mend this relationship? And where should we start again?

"I'm happy, because people have understood that they are dealing with people who act only for their own economic interests. Making capital gains as already done with Caprile, Cheddira and now Dorval. Beyond the successes of Naples, a championship won also thanks to the fortune of events. I don't understand how you can sell a company claiming large amounts of capital when you don't even have ten players of your own."

The transfer market has begun, but Bari's movements appear timid. What do you expect from this summer session? Which departments should be urgently strengthened?

"It's impossible to put pieces in place when you don't even understand who's staying and who's going. I hope there are clear ideas about the areas in which to intervene and improve. I fear we'll start in Roccaraso without having a team base. A team isn't built in the summer retreat, but much earlier. Now there's a mania for making transfers when you're already in retreat, where the coming and going of people is the order of the day. At an organizational level and in assembling the group, everything becomes more difficult."

The issue of timeshare continues to be an unresolved issue. Do you think this situation is holding back the club's ambitions?

"The problem of Bari is only called De Laurentiis. For them, having Bari is fun. An optional."

Looking ahead to 2028, when timeshare will have to be resolved by law, what scenarios do you imagine for the future of Bari?

"I hope for positive scenarios, despite having many doubts about the situation. I fear that 2028 will arrive and no one will show up. The great missed opportunity was upstream, in not having handed over the failed club to the Hartonos. I still don't understand how we let slip an opportunity like this that, to date, would have allowed us to live the dream that we all deserve. The incentives, instead, are at a minimum".

There are those who fear that Bari could be “frozen” until that date. Is this a real risk or is it too pessimistic a vision?

"There is reason to be afraid. The current company can do anything. I also note the U-turn of some important sponsors such as Casillo and MvLine. They are starting to make their assessments. We were missing the addition of Betsson (a betting company, ed.) to complete the picture. Congratulations."

You have lived Bari as a footballer and you know the passion of the square well. How much does the lack of an ownership rooted in the territory weigh, in your opinion?

"We managed to criticize the Matarrese family who, beyond the problems, operated with passion and lost real money. We acted like a family. We footballers lived this climate with managers, technicians and warehouse workers. It seems to me that all this no longer exists. This hurts. I am worried that I do not see alternatives. Local entrepreneurs talk a lot, but do little to materialize. In the end, no one really invests."

In such a delicate context, what should be the role of the old glories and historical figures of the club?

"Nobody. The old glories for Filmauro do not exist. It's a closed discussion for a lifetime. The only Barese in the staff is Maurantonio, the goalkeeping coach."

If you were in charge of the team today, what would be your first intervention, on or off the pitch?

"Without the base it becomes difficult to intervene. It's all a question mark. Caserta? I know him very well. I coached him at Palermo and Atalanta. A very good person. As a coach he won championships, and he is prepared. I don't know what he can do at Bari. I hope he can be satisfied, with players who allow him to work with his head and not with that of others. More or less what Longo intended to do last year with a decent team. In the end, he did his part. He paid for everyone, when the responsibility for the missed objectives should also have been distributed to the sports director. Who instead is still in the saddle".

Finally, a message to the fans. What would you say to those who today feel betrayed or disillusioned, but can't stop loving these colors?

"I meet many fans and the most ardent are in crisis with respect to the will to abandon the San Nicola by giving up the sacred appointment of the match. I too have a red and white heart and I am grateful to the old Bari. The situation is very difficult, the voice of the people remains unheard. I only hope that at least they can have a little fun".