Nikolaou's challenge: "Bari, let's believe in it: I like the Caserta project, let's work to be competitive."

BARI – Celebrating his 27th birthday and his first press conference in red and white, Dimitrios Nikolaou, a Greek central defender from Chalkida, arrived on a one-year loan from Palermo on July 17th. Having trained at Olympiacos and gained experience with Empoli and Spezia, he brings with him from Sicily 29 appearances in last season's Serie B league and one in the Coppa Italia, as well as a goal against Catanzaro on December 14, 2024. He was a starter for the Rosanero from matchdays 1 to 25, returning to his starting lineup for the last five matches from May 1 to 13, totaling 2,394 minutes played. This impressive number of appearances is expected to continue with Bari, where he currently sits as one of the two central defenders alongside captain Francesco Vicari. This goal will be put into practice starting next Sunday, the official opening of the 2025/26 season, scheduled for the first round of the Coppa Italia at the San Siro stadium on the Milan side. The away game will see a veritable exodus of Bari fans (around 5,000 distributed between the away section and other stands, out of 60,000 tickets sold). Before kickoff, there will be a moment of silence, with a minute's silence in memory of little Elliot Verreth, who tragically passed away a few days ago. Both the red and whites and the black and reds will take the field wearing black armbands as a sign of condolence and sympathy for the Belgian player and his family.

Speaking to the press room at the San Nicola stadium, his long black hair tied in a ponytail, Nikolaou introduced himself to the Bari crowd, sharing these and other points for reflection. On the eve of the second training session of the day, the starting point is the recognition of the group's merging process, initiated by the training camp and preseason friendlies: "We're in a phase of construction," Nikolaou admits, "seeking to find our team balance together with Coach Caserta. A difficult match awaits us in Milan on Sunday. We'll face a Milan side that is several leagues above us. We'll give it our all to do our best."

A statement of intent that matches the motivation to wear the red and white. A quick decision, without a second thought: "Caserta and what they intend to do convinced me. I never had any doubts about my decision to wear the Bari jersey. We're getting along well, and we're only just getting started. We'll be ready for the games that matter. I promise to give my best throughout the season." A dedicated effort during last year's ups and downs in Palermo, after previously being a key figure in La Spezia: "In Sicily, I had a unique season, full of ups and downs. Situations need to be addressed, and in the end, we'll see the results of the choices we made."

He'll adopt a stance starting Sunday at San Siro, attempting to showcase his veteran technical and tactical skills: "There are no secrets to beating Milan. It will take a lot of running and a strong desire to be a team. We'll have to be humble and fight for every ball aggressively. The most important thing," Nikolaou continues, "is the team. My job will be to prevent Bari from conceding goals, as well as helping my teammates grow. That way, I can improve myself. For years in Italy, I've always played to build the play and ensure the team has the right amount of aggression. I get along well with my current teammates. The same goes for the Primavera players. We'll try to implement what the coach asks of us. On a personal level, I can play with either a three-man or four-man defense. Either way, there won't be any problems." In this case, past experience could make the difference. Look at his past in the Champions League, Serie A, and Serie B. The latter category could prove too tight: "I'm in a situation where I have to work to move up a division and get back to where I was. I'm happy to be in Bari, the right place to achieve my personal goal: returning to the top flight. I'll try to do that with Bari. I hope that Palermo, my club, can also do their best to achieve promotion."

His words were frank, with a nod to his former club Olympiacos, who will be playing against Inter at the San Nicola on Saturday. It's a game to rekindle the past and ideally reopen the national chapter: "I have many friends there, and it's the club I played for as a young man. The Greek national team? You can never say no. It's an honor to play there, and I think I can still get there." He rambles through time, between past and future, passing through the present, which coincides with the assault on Milan and the worry of marking a certain Leao: "The Rossoneri have many champions in their squad. Leao is a key figure, we'll do our best to stop him." It's a way to honor the presence of the many red and white fans expected at the San Siro. They'll give the right boost: "I heard there will be a lot of people following. It's very nice. This," Nikolaou concluded, "should make us proud, and we'll do our best to at least give him a great performance."