Lecce has officially appealed to FIFA as the club seeks to resolve the case of Lameck Banda, who has remained absent from the team for four weeks. The Zambia international, who is under contract with the Italian side until June 2027, failed to report for pre-season training following his summer vacation and has since been unreachable, consistently ignoring all attempts by the club to establish contact.
Although Lecce previously issued a formal statement warning that the player would face consequences for his unauthorized absence, the club's efforts have not yet resulted in his return. Banda, for his part, has reportedly claimed that he was unaware of a unilateral option in his contract that allowed the club to extend his stay in June 2026, an option which Lecce has since activated.
The Libyan club is preparing to take part in the CAF Champions League, and has reportedly offered the Zambia international a two-year contract worth €1.6m per season.
Lecce are said to be taking this very seriously, as the Gazzetta dello Sport note that the club has sent a written appeal to FIFA, the Zambian and Libyan Federations pointing out that the player is under contract.
