Lecce are preparing to continue their legal action against Lameck Banda after the Zambia international breached his contract to join Libyan club Al Swehly, who have risked further embarrassment with a video mocking their Italian counterparts.
The transfer dispute has occupied much of the summer. Banda failed to report for Lecce’s pre-season training before attempting to push through a move to Al Swehly.
Lecce held an option to extend Banda’s contract until June 2027 and activated that clause. However, the player maintained that he did not know about the extension and argued that the agreement was therefore invalid.
The Lega Serie A blocked the transfer, but FIFA has allowed Al Swehly to register Banda on a temporary basis while its investigation into the case continues.
Lecce have already made clear that they intend to take the dispute to a tribunal. The Serie A club are seeking a ban for Banda and sanctions against Al Swehly, claiming that both parties breached the existing contract.
Al Swehly announced Banda’s arrival in a video released today, presenting it as a direct response to the Italian media coverage surrounding the player’s disappearance from Lecce.
The clip includes a montage of reports asking: ‘Where has he gone?’
That footage is then cut together with images of a printer apparently producing confirmation of Banda’s registration in Libya, followed by scenes from his presentation as an Al Swehly player.
The attempt to ridicule Lecce has itself attracted attention because the video contains a major error. The opening footage does not feature Lecce at all, but Lecco.
Lecco are a separate club from a town in Lombardy, in northern Italy, while Lecce are based in the Salento region in the south of the country. The two locations are a considerable distance apart.
The mistake is among several problems with the video, including the decision to mock the club from which Al Swehly are accused of taking a player while the contractual dispute remains unresolved.
Banda’s move is therefore still subject to the outcome of the FIFA investigation and Lecce’s planned legal proceedings. Although he has been granted temporary registration in Libya, the Lega Serie A has already rejected the transfer, leaving the wider case unsettled.
The saga began when Banda stayed away from Lecce’s pre-season preparations and sought to force a move to Al Swehly. Lecce’s position is that the extension to June 2027 was valid because the club had exercised its option, while Banda says he was unaware of the provision and disputes the agreement’s validity.
With the legal battle set to continue, Al Swehly’s announcement has added an unusual public dimension to a case that may ultimately be decided by football’s legal authorities.
