Aurelio and Luigi De Laurentiis under investigation for fraudulent bankruptcy at Bari, offices of Napoli and Bari searched
Italian finance police searched the offices of SSC Napoli, SSC Bari and Filmauro on Tuesday as part of a probe into alleged false accounting and fraudulent bankruptcy at the Puglian club, with president Aurelio De Laurentiis and his son Luigi among those under investigation.
The investigation
Italy's Guardia di Finanza carried out searches on Tuesday morning at the headquarters of SSC Bari, SSC Napoli and film production company Filmauro, acting on an order from the Bari public prosecutor's office. The investigation targets Aurelio De Laurentiis, president of Napoli and legal representative of Filmauro, and his son Luigi De Laurentiis, sole administrator of Bari. Both are formally under investigation for false corporate communications related to Bari's 2024 financial statements and for fraudulent bankruptcy connected to a request for judicial liquidation filed due to the club's insolvency.
The company is burdened by a significant capital deficit and substantial debt exposure, in the absence of a concrete recovery plan.
Financial losses
The probe stems from in-depth reviews of Bari's balance sheets, explanatory notes and management reports, supported by technical consultations. Investigators found that the club has been in systemic loss, accumulating roughly 30 million euros in deficits between 2019 and 2025. The capital shortfall and heavy indebtedness were not matched by any credible restructuring plan, according to the prosecution.
- Bari accumulates systemic losses of approximately 30 million euros.
- Bari's 2024 financial statements are filed; later become the subject of false accounting allegations.
- Guardia di Finanza searches offices of Bari, Napoli and Filmauro; De Laurentiis father and son placed under investigation.
The suspicious transfer
At the heart of the case is a player transfer between the two family-linked clubs. Bari had bought the player's registration, promising the selling club bonuses tied to any future resale value. It then sold the player to Napoli without including any clause that would give Bari a share of a future capital gain. That gain materialised when Napoli later sold the player after a period of sporting development that the already distressed Bari could have undertaken itself. The prosecution suspects that this operation was used to hide the true state of Bari's crisis and that capital gains were artificially created on player sales to Napoli.
Searches and individuals involved
Alongside the De Laurentiis father and son, the searches also extended to documents held by three sporting directors, Ciro Polito, Cristiano Giuntoli and Mauro Meluso, and football agent Graziano Battistini, a former goalkeeper. None of these four are currently under investigation. The player at the centre of the transfer is reported to be goalkeeper Elia Caprile. The investigation is being led by Bari chief prosecutor Roberto Rossi.
Legal context
The case is at a preliminary stage. Under Italian law, all persons under investigation are presumed innocent until a final conviction. The searches aim to gather documentation that can clarify the economic and corporate management of the Puglian club.
