“Ricci asked us to sell him, then he changed his mind. It’s a bit confusing. I, who have to play my football life, need people who are sure and don’t have to have second thoughts. If the player or whoever asks the director to leave, I have to focus on other players”. So says the Bari coach Moreno Longo before the end of the transfer market he had spoken about the situation of the left back who was then sold to Cosenza.
Words that didn’t go down well with the footballer’s agent Vincenzo Pisacane that at the microphones of Tuttobari.com reveals the background to his client’s farewell: “I was amazed by Longo’s words, he said totally inaccurate things. – Pisacane begins – A club this summer had asked me for both Ricci and Vicari, I went to Bari who told me that Di Cesare had called Giacomo and Francesco many times to tell them that the new Bari project started with them. When I went to the retreat Ricci told me that the coach was counting on him. So I had an appointment with Magalini to discuss Giacomo’s renewal that was expiring. After a week I went back to talk to Magalini and Di Cesare who completely changed their version compared to the previous appointment”.
“They told me that the renewal was no longer certain, that the coach is not banking on it and that the player was behind in terms of condition. They made me speak directly with Luigi De Laurentiis with whom Iwe reached an agreement for a contract that I would never have accepted, but Ricci wanted to accept to stay in Bari. – Pisacane continues – Then after 3 weeks, I only receive Vicari’s contract. The director calls me and tells me that he opposed the contract renewal. In addition, the coach had always left him out and for 2 weeks he hadn’t even spoken to him anymore”.
And so the transfer of the full-back materializes: “At that point Ricci, who did not want to remain until his contract expires, went to the management and asked for the transfer. The decision was made by the coach who decided that Ricci was not suited to his game.”.