Lecce Wins Battle Over AWOL Banda as FIGC Blocks Transfer
Lameck Banda’s summer has turned from pre-season routine into a full-blown contractual standoff, and Italy’s football authorities have now firmly taken Lecce’s side.
The FIGC has refused to authorise the Zambian winger’s proposed transfer to Libyan club Swehly SC, confirming that Banda remains under contract with Lecce until June 30, 2027. That decision slams the door on any immediate escape route and sets the stage for a case that could now land on FIFA’s desk.
From key man to missing man
Just a few months ago, Banda was a central figure at Stadio Via del Mare, scoring important goals in Serie A and embodying Lecce’s aggressive, front-foot style. Then he vanished.
The 23-year-old failed to report back for pre-season more than a month ago. No return flight to Italy. No explanation. No appearance at training.
The club called. His official agent called. The silence dragged on for weeks.
Lecce listed him as AWOL. What looked at first like a delay quickly hardened into a full-scale dispute.
Libyan interest and rising alarm in Lecce
The situation escalated when Banda was spotted with directors from Swehly SC, the Libyan side that had already seen a bid rejected earlier in the summer. For Lecce, that was the red flag.
Here was a player who had not set foot at training, suddenly pictured alongside executives from a club still keen to sign him. Lecce, convinced they held him under contract, moved to protect their position.
The Libyan Federation then lodged a request to process Banda’s transfer. It reached the FIGC. It went no further.
On Thursday, the Italian federation confirmed it had blocked the move, refusing to give the regulatory green light for an international transfer. For the Italian authorities, the issue is straightforward: Banda is still Lecce’s player.
Contract confusion at the heart of the row
According to reports, Banda insists he believed he was out of contract at the end of last season and free from July 1, 2026. The key detail is an option clause.
Lecce had the right to extend his deal by a further year, covering the 2026-27 campaign. The club exercised that option. The FIGC has now publicly backed that position, stating that Banda’s contract runs through to June 30, 2027.
Banda, though, is said to be refusing to recognise the extension, claiming he was unaware of the clause or its activation. That disagreement lies at the core of the dispute: Lecce see a binding deal; the player sees freedom of movement.
FIFA looms in the background
With the FIGC’s decision, the Italian side of the argument is clear. Swehly SC cannot register Banda through the current route. If the Libyan club, the player, or his representatives want to keep pushing, the case will likely head to FIFA, where contract validity and the use of unilateral extension clauses often come under intense scrutiny.
For now, Lecce hold the paperwork and the backing of their federation. Banda remains off the training pitch, off the team sheet, and officially tied to a club he has not spoken to in weeks.
A winger once known for his direct running and fearless attacking now finds his career stalled not by injury or form, but by a signature on a contract and a clause he contests. The next move may not be a dribble down the flank, but a legal step in front of world football’s governing body.
