Napoli spark new Serie B storm
Thursday 5 August, 2004

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Serie B is in for another torrid summer as Napoli’s appeal was rejected, taking
the matter to the courts.


Luciano Gaucci’s attempts to ‘rent’ the Naples club, thereby getting around
rules banning one man from owning two sides in the same Division, have been cut
down at every turn and today the CONI arbitration commission also came out
against the Perugia patron.


However, Gaucci has some support behind him, as the administrators suggest
registration to Serie B is Napoli’s most valuable asset and must therefore be
protected in order to better pay back its creditors.


Now the Naples Tribunal has received a request from the administrators to block
the drawing up of the 2004-05 calendar if Napoli are not included.


At the same time, the bankruptcy clerks have ordered Gaucci not to begin a
pre-season training camp, originally planned for this afternoon.


“We are only interested in one thing,” announced the volcanic businessman, “and
that is to keep Napoli in Serie B. I came here to achieve this and I will fight
for it now. Even the bankruptcy tribunal agrees with me and I really don’t care
what anyone else has to say about it.”


Gaucci is certainly not one for idle threats, as last summer several months went
by in the courts before the FIGC was forced to expand Serie B to 24 teams in
order to accommodate his relegated Catania.


As for the future of Napoli, it is reported that none of the interested parties
handed over the paperwork or cash needed to take up the Lodo Petrucci – a rule
allowing a bankrupt club to start again with new ownership in Serie C1.


If Gaucci’s latest crusade against the football authorities fails, it is
possible Napoli will have to begin again in the amateur divisions.


There is also another legal battle in place, as Perugia director Alessandro
Gaucci has seen his appeal to have Parma thrown out of Serie A rejected by the
CONI arbitration commission.


“We will go to the civil courts to have justice,” slammed the son of the new
Napoli patron. “It is so clear that Parma have registered for Serie A
incorrectly that I cannot see how they have failed to accept our appeal. This is
a scandalous decision.”

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What next for Napoli? Tuesday 3 August, 2004

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The future of Napoli will be decided over the next couple of days, but Luciano
Gaucci insists he won’t give up his fight to keep them in Serie B.


SSC Napoli is no more after the bankruptcy tribunal rejected Gaucci’s latest
attempts to ‘rent’ the club from former President Salvatore Naldi. The report
also suggests that Perugia patron Gaucci will be unable to rescue the situation
in the appeal courts.


“The demise of this club has been all too predictable over the last five years,”
read the official tribunal statement. “It has been caused by the unclear status
of the ownership, the legal wrangling between Naldi, Giorgio Corbelli and
Corrado Ferlaino, the chaotic business transactions and the far too late
attempts to save Napoli.”


Above all, the statement puts a spanner in the works for Gaucci’s appeals by
noting his plan was “too late and with little regard for the rules of business
or sport.”


The figures are also desperately disappointing, with debts of over £20m and
“only enough revenue to pay the phone and energy bills.” Gaucci’s proposal of
bringing in £3m a season over five years was also dubbed “entirely insufficient
considering the size of the debt.”


At this point it seems the only option for Napoli’s fans is to start a new club
in Serie C1, where four businesses are already prepared to take up the mantle of
the Lodo Petrucci rule.


However, Gaucci has not yet given up the ghost and insists he will not enter the
race to set up a new side in a lower division.


“The Lodo Petrucci would be an illegal move,” claimed the volcanic Perugia
patron, “and by declaring SSC Napoli bankrupt we would effectively leave the
creditors without anything. In fact, we are getting the squad together for
pre-season training and trying to sign some foreign players with EC passports.”


According to the new rules, Gaucci’s version of Napoli would be forced to start
again in the amateur League and all its players released from their contracts.


The businessman could yet enter the race to start again in Serie C1, but all
paperwork must be handed in by this evening along with £5m as a deposit.


On Wednesday there will be another important development, as CONI’s arbitration
committee will give its verdict on Gaucci’s appeal. It is unlikely this will go
in his favour, as the club he wished to ‘rent’ has been declared bankrupt
anyway.



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Napoli declared bankrupt

Monday 2 August, 2004

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Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli have been declared bankrupt, so now four
different companies are vying to start again with a new club and title in Serie
C1.


The bankruptcy tribunal has not yet made the news official, but sources inside
the courts claim the decision to liquidate the club is now inevitable.


“Right now I am especially sorry for Salvatore Naldi,” potential owner Luciano
Gaucci said of the former President. “He put so much money into this experience
and really did everything he could to salvage Napoli.”


The Serie B side has been at the centre of bitter legal wrangling between former
owners Naldi and Giorgio Corbelli for over two years now, leading to the
collapse of one of Italy’s most widely supported clubs.


In the 78 years since its inception, Napoli had won two Serie A titles, a UEFA
Cup, Italian Supercup and three Coppa Italia’s, almost all of them during the
Golden Years of Diego Armando Maradona.


Gaucci had hoped to ‘rent’ SS Napoli in order to get round the rules preventing
one man from owning two clubs in the same division – as he is still patron of
recently relegated Perugia – but the FA and the Appeals Tribunal both rejected
this proposal.


“Now we need to see what the bankruptcy tribunal actually stated on our case and
our next appeal to the CONI arbitration committee.”


All is not lost for Napoli fans, as it is likely a new club will be allowed to
start again in Serie C1 for the 2004-05 campaign. The so-called Lodo Petrucci
rule gives businessmen the chance to buy into their slot to ensure football is
not lost to the big cities.


So far four applications have been received to start a new club in Naples.
Gaucci has already set up Napoli Sportiva, having bought out Naldi for £31m,
while current Siena President Paolo De Luca has created Napoli F.C. with the
promise of loaned players from Juventus and Palermo.


Other options are Azzurra Napoli, run by Luis Vinicio with the objective of
selling shares to the supporters in small amounts, and Napoli Sport for a group
of businessmen from nearby Nola.


By Tuesday afternoon each of these potential clubs must provide guarantees for a
total of £5m to prove their stability for a season in Serie C1. The decision on
which will be given the go-ahead will be made on August 4.