Bari's sporting director Ciro Polito was physically attacked. © SSC Bari

At the gas station: Bari fans attack managers

A real scandal has occurred around Serie B club Bari. On the return journey from the last away game, the fans physically attacked the sports director.

07 Maj 2024

From: dl

After the 1-1 draw on Sunday in Cittadella, Bari is finally threatened with direct relegation from Serie B. The club from Apulia is currently in third-bottom place in the table. Friday's home game against Brescia will be a game of fate for Bari. A year earlier, Bari had only failed to gain promotion to Serie A at the last second.

The frustration among the fans of the southern Italians, who are considered particularly hot-blooded, is obviously huge. Sports director Ciro Polito and the De Laurentis family have long been a thorn in the side of the supporters. There was hardly any money for new arrivals in both summer and winter. Last Sunday was the final straw: On the return journey from Cittadella to Bari, manager Ciro Polito was physically attacked by four Bari fans at a motorway rest stop.

This happened on the A13 motorway between Padua and Bologna at a car grill. In the presence of his family, Polito is said to have initially been verbally attacked and later pushed or slapped. This was confirmed by the club itself and the images from the surveillance camera. Potito was the only one of the Bari staff who started his journey home not by plane, but by car.