Aurelio and Luigi De Laurentiis are under investigation by the Bari Prosecutor’s Office for alleged false accounting and fraudulent bankruptcy connected to their stewardship of Serie C club Bari. Authorities have requested judicial liquidation proceedings for the insolvent club, which has reported recurring losses of approximately €30 million between 2019 and 2025.
Searches are being conducted at the headquarters of both the football club and Filmauro, the De Laurentiis family’s holding company and Bari’s sole shareholder. The inquiry stems from an examination of financial statements, explanatory notes and management reports that investigators say expose a substantial capital deficit and severe debt exposure without a credible restructuring plan.
Suspicious transfer activity
A focal point of the investigation is the transfer of goalkeeper Elia Caprile. The Italy international arrived at Bari from Leeds United in 2022, with Leeds retaining a sell-on clause. However, when Caprile joined Napoli—owned by Aurelio De Laurentiis—one year later, the deal allegedly contained no bonus for Bari on any future capital gain.
Prosecutors believe that by relinquishing all rights to future economic value, Bari transferred the player’s entire worth to Napoli, thereby aggravating the club’s financial distress. Caprile, 24, made only four competitive appearances for Napoli before loan spells at Empoli and Cagliari, eventually moving to Cagliari permanently last summer for €8 million.
Broader scrutiny and sporting decline
Former Bari director Ciro Polito, ex-Napoli sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli (now at Atalanta), former Napoli sporting director Mauro Meluso, and Caprile’s agent Graziano Battistini have also faced searches related to the goalkeeper’s movements. None are currently under investigation.
The liquidation request follows a technical analysis indicating that Bari suffers from a “serious economic and financial imbalance capable of jeopardising business continuity,” according to Gazzetta. Investigators note the club has survived only through extraordinary support from Filmauro, including capital injections, debt waivers and trademark revaluation.
Sporting performance has mirrored the financial difficulties. Bari were relegated from Serie B to Serie C during the 2025-26 campaign, adding pressure to an ownership group now facing significant legal scrutiny over the club’s management.