Ventura says joint ownership with De Laurentiis is a burden for Bari

Former Bari and Italy national team manager, Gian Piero Ventura, has given his thoughts on the future of the Bari football team in an interview with La Repubblica.

Ventura stated, “With all due respect to the fans, I believe this situation should have been anticipated ever since the De Laurentiis family took over Bari. It’s inevitable that those resolving the co-ownership issue wouldn’t have been able to buy 20 players outright. We will have to live with this hanging over us till 2028.”

Ventura, who himself is a Bari fan, also commented on the fans’ discontentment with the situation. He admitted, “I can understand fans not accepting this situation because I too am a Bari fan and I would always want to play for winning championships.”

However, he stressed on the need to acknowledge certain realities. He argued, “We cannot ignore that before the arrival of the De Laurentiis, managing the Bari football team had been a major problem.”

Ventura’s remarks underline the longstanding administrative challenges Bari have faced along with the new issues arising from the co-ownership situation. This appraisal from a seasoned professional like Ventura is likely to add more weight to the ongoing debates about Bari’s future.