FIGC Blocks Banda Move Amid Lecce Standoff

Lameck Banda’s summer has turned from pre-season preparation into a full‑blown contractual battle, with the FIGC stepping in on Lecce’s side and potentially pushing the case towards FIFA.

The Zambian winger has been missing from Lecce for over a month. He never reported back to Italy for pre-season, then cut off contact altogether. No training. No calls. No dialogue with the club or even his official agent.

In the background, another storyline emerged.

Banda was spotted with directors of Libyan club Swehly SC – also known as Asswehly Sports Club – the same side whose offer Lecce had already rejected earlier in the summer. For the Salento club, that was more than just a coincidence. It was a warning sign.

On Friday, the warning turned into formal resistance. The FIGC confirmed it had refused to authorise a transfer request from the Libyan federation for Banda’s registration with Swehly SC, effectively blocking the move at source.

The core of the dispute is a single clause.

Reports in Italy state that Banda believes he became a free agent on July 1, 2026. He is said to contest the validity of an option in his Lecce contract that allows the club to extend the deal by one additional year, through the 2026‑27 season.

Lecce triggered that option. Banda, for now, refuses to recognise it.

The FIGC has taken a clear position. In its statement, the Italian federation confirmed that Banda is under contract with Lecce until June 30, 2027. With that, any attempt to register the player elsewhere runs into a regulatory wall.

What began as a pre-season no‑show has turned into a legal and sporting standoff: a club holding firm on a contract it considers watertight, a player acting as if he is already free, and a blocked transfer to Libya that may now end up on FIFA’s desk.