Comune-De Laurentiis deal forces Bari to cover €215,000 San Nicola costs

At the municipal stadium San Nicola, Bari and the local Comune have signed a last‑minute Comune‑De Laurentiis agreement that obliges the club to shoulder roughly €215,000 for managing the venue until the 1 November deadline, covering monthly lease fees and estimated maintenance costs for the first three months of the 2026/27 season.

The Accordo, as reported by Il Corriere del Mezzogiorno-Bari, is expressly temporary, with the lease set to expire on 1 November. The short‑term nature reflects the parties’ need for an immediate solution. The announcement resonated across the Mezzogiorno region, highlighting the urgency of the arrangement.

The two sides agreed on a precarious lease costing €5,000 each month. This monthly charge forms the baseline of the financial commitment.

In addition, Bari must fund ordinary and extraordinary maintenance, estimated at roughly €200,000. Combined with the lease, the total outlay reaches about €215,000 for the first three months of the 2026/27 campaign.

The primary driver of the brief arrangement is the ongoing prosecutor’s investigation into alleged fraudulent bankruptcy involving the club and Luigi and Aurelio De Laurentiis. Both family members are named in the inquiry, prompting the need for a swift, limited‑duration deal.

Because the legal process could extend beyond the initial period, the future financial terms for the remainder of the season remain uncertain. No extension has been negotiated pending the outcome of the investigation.

For matches that Monopoli will host at San Nicola, Bari will invoice the club for the specific management costs incurred for each event. There is no fixed per‑match fee; charges are calculated on a case‑by‑case basis.

A pre‑season friendly scheduled for 15 August between Inter and Betis Sevilla will trigger a €50,000 payment to the Comune. Inter will remit the amount to Bari, which will then forward the funds to the municipal authority.

The agreement also stipulates that Bari will not earn any revenue from the stadium’s parking facilities. Parking expenses will be shouldered directly by the Comune.