Pagano launches Bari: "Hunger and ambition"

Three goals against amateur side Castel di Sangro are the calling card of a midfielder who is forging ahead in Roccaraso, aiming to carve out a starring role for Bari in the 2025/26 season. Twenty-year-old Riccardo Pagano smiles before the afternoon training session begins. Dreams, hopes, expectations, and the cool of the Abruzzo mountains ease the fatigue of the first days of pre-season training camp. "The impact of the new adventure in red and white has been positive," says the former Catanzaro player, the first newcomer to be announced by Bari in this transfer campaign, on loan from Roma with an option to buy. "We're working well, we need to continue like this. In training, in friendlies, and in competitive matches: my goal is to score as many goals and assists as possible, because it means making a positive contribution to my teammates."

What kind of Bari is being born?

A team determined to fight for every ball and ambitious, aiming high, knowing it will be a very difficult championship. Last season was a lesson: more than a club that set out to secure promotion to Serie A, it found itself having to fight to avoid relegation. The first week of training camp is positive: we're a united group, we're bonding very well. We know we all have to be leaders, regardless of age. I'm ready to take on my responsibilities, to put my skills at the service of the team. One thing is certain: I'll be fully committed and will never let up.

Who better than her to introduce Caserta to Bari fans?

"It's definitely positive for me to have a coach I know again. I know what he demands of the team, and he knows me; he knows what I can give. The coach likes his teams to be proactive, play good football, be courageous, press, and always try to dominate matches. That's precisely why we're working, in this first phase of the training camp, to build strength and stamina."

You made twenty appearances last season for Catanzaro: do you expect to play more this year?

"I hope to be able to play as much as possible. My training commitment is aimed precisely at this."

Midfielder or attacking midfielder?

I love playing both roles; it makes no difference to me. The coach will decide whether to use me and in which position, depending on the formation, the matches, and the opponents. After all, in modern football, there's not much difference between the midfielder role, if interpreted in a certain way, and the attacking midfielder role.

Totti and Mourinho's favourite is in Bari for a season marked by his desire to emerge.

My debut at the Olimpico wearing the Roma jersey, in front of 60,000 spectators, will forever remain in my heart. An unforgettable moment. I'm proud of what a great coach like Mourinho said about me and of having been part of Totti's team, even if our paths later diverged. It's part of football. Now I can't wait to play at the San Nicola, in a fantastic place like Bari.

Off the pitch, what kind of footballer is Pagano?

"A simple, quiet guy. I love sharing important moments with family and a close circle of friends."

What can Bari fans expect from Pagano?

"Quality, creativity, and pace. These are my main qualities. Commitment, I repeat, will never be lacking. I will always fight for every ball."

And what does Pagano ask of the red and white supporters?

"To be close to us, to show them what they're capable of in the stands. We need their support. At San Siro, their Coppa Italia debut against Milan, then the league. We'll give it our all, and I can't wait to get started."