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Lecce

Full name	Unione Sportiva Lecce S.p.A. (Sports Union Lecce S.p.A.)
Nickname(s)	I Giallorossi (The Yellow and Reds) I Salentini (The Salentians) I Lupi (The Wolves)
Founded	17 March 1908 (forerunner) 16 September 1927 1934 (re-founded)
Ground	Stadio Ettore Giardiniero - Via del mare
Ground Capacity	31,533
Owner	Saverio Sticchi Damiani (majority) Alvin Sariaatmadja (minority)
President	Saverio Sticchi Damiani
Manager	Eusebio Di Francesco
League	Serie A
2018–19	Serie B, 2nd of 19 (promoted)
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Unione Sportiva Lecce is a professional Italian football club. It is based in the city of Lecce, which is in the Apulia region of Italy. The team plays in Serie A, which is the top football league in Italy. They are part of the Italian football pyramid. Lecce plays its home games at the Stadio Via del Mare, a stadium that can hold 31,533 fans.

The club was officially started in 1927, but its roots go back to 1908. Lecce has often moved between Italy's second division (Serie B) and Serie A. They first played in Serie A in the 1985–86 season. Their best finish in Serie A was ninth place in the 1988–89 season.

Lecce is ranked 25th in the all-time Serie A table. It is the second club from Apulia to have played in the top two Italian football leagues. They have spent 19 seasons in Serie A and 29 seasons in Serie B.

Lecce has won the Serie B title twice, in 2022 and 2010. They also won the Coppa Italia Serie C in 1975. In 1976, they won the Anglo-Italian Cup Semiprofessionals.

Fans and players of Lecce are often called salentini. They are also known as giallorossi (yellow and reds) or lupi (wolves).

Club History

Lecce's journey through Italian football leagues since 1929/30.

Early Years: Founding and First Steps

Lecce was first formed as Sporting Club Lecce on March 15, 1908. It included sports like football, track-and-field, and cycling. Francesco Marangi was the club's first president. In the beginning, Lecce wore black and white striped uniforms.

For many years, Lecce played in local leagues. The club stopped playing for a short time in 1923–24. But it came back on September 16, 1927, as Unione Sportiva Lecce. They still wore black and white stripes. Luigi López y Rojo became the first president under the new name.

Joining Serie B and Challenges

Lecce played against Taranto Sport for a chance to join Serie B. Lecce won the game 3–2 after extra time. They then joined Serie B for the 1929–30 season. Their first game in the league was a 2–1 win against Novara on October 6, 1929. Lecce finished 13th that season. However, the club stopped playing again at the end of the 1931–32 season.

Four years later, Lecce returned to play in Serie C. They finished 11th in their first season back. The club faced some difficulties during this time. They even withdrew from Serie C one season. In another season, they finished third but were moved down to 12th place. This happened because the club did not follow league rules.

Lecce finished first in the 1943–44 season. But football was paused because of World War II. When games started again, Lecce won the Serie C championship. This earned them a promotion back to Serie B. They had two good seasons, finishing fourth and third. Then, the club was moved down to a lower league.

Lecce stayed in Serie C for six seasons. This was not a very successful period for the club. Striker Anselmo Bislenghi became a hero by scoring 83 goals. The club even dropped to Serie IV for three years.

Long Stay in Serie C and Promotions

From 1959 to 1975, Lecce played 17 seasons in Serie C. They came very close to promotion many times. They finished second for three seasons in a row (1971–72 to 1973–74). Finally, they earned promotion in the 1975–76 season.

In the same year they were promoted, Lecce won the Coppa Italia Serie C. In 1976, Lecce also played in the Anglo-Italian Cup. They had a big 4–0 win against Scarborough.

In 1980, there was a problem in Italian football that affected Lecce. But the club's president, Franco Jurlano, showed he was innocent. Later, in 1983, a sad event happened. Players Michele Lo Russo and Ciro Pezzella died in a car accident. To this day, Lo Russo holds the club record for playing the most games, with 415 appearances.

Reaching Serie A for the First Time

Under coach Eugenio Fascetti, Lecce was promoted to Serie A for the first time in 1985. They finished last and were moved down after just one season. However, they famously beat Roma 3–2 away from home. This win hurt Roma's chances of winning the league title.

Lecce lost a promotion play-off to Cesena the next season. But they returned to Serie A in 1988. With Carlo Mazzone as coach, Lecce finished a good ninth place in 1989. Key players included striker Pedro Pasculli and midfielders Antonio Conte and Paolo Benedetti. They stayed in Serie A for three seasons before being moved down. They returned two years later.

The 1993–94 season was tough for Lecce. They finished last with only 11 points, which was one of the lowest totals ever for a Serie A team. They were moved down again the next year.

Giampiero Ventura helped Lecce get promoted twice in a row, from Serie C to Serie A. He then left for Cagliari. It was still hard for Lecce in Serie A. Striker Francesco Palmieri played well. They also had a famous away win against Milan in 1997.

In 1998, Pantaleo Corvino became the new sports director. He became known for finding new talented players. The team was strong enough to return to Serie A in 1999. They stayed in the top league for three years. They returned to Serie A again in 2003.

Serie A Seasons (2003–2006)

In 2004, under coach Delio Rossi, Lecce had a great season. They finished tenth, even after a difficult start. They had amazing wins against big teams. They beat Juventus 4–3 in Turin, which was their first win at the Stadio Delle Alpi. Then, they beat Internazionale 2–1 at their home stadium, Stadio Via del Mare.

In 2004–05, coach Zdeněk Zeman led a very attacking team. They scored many goals. Lecce finished tenth again. Players like Valeri Bojinov and Mirko Vučinić became well-known. The team had the second-best attack in the league, with 66 goals. But they also had the worst defense, letting in 73 goals. This was a record, as it was the first time a team with the worst defense stayed in Serie A.

The 2005–06 season was a struggle for Lecce. The club changed coaches twice. These changes could not help Lecce, and they were moved down to Serie B. They finished 19th. In June 2006, Giovanni Semeraro returned as the club's leader. The club brought back Zdeněk Zeman as coach.

Lecce could not avoid being moved down from Serie A. This happened despite some hope from a match-fixing investigation in Serie A.

Back and Forth Between Leagues

Lecce had a mixed start to the 2006–07 season in Serie B. They won home games but struggled away. After losing many matches, Zeman was replaced by Giuseppe Papadopulo. On March 10, 2007, Lecce had a big 5–0 win against Frosinone. Lecce earned many points in the second half of the season. They finished ninth in the middle of the table. In 2007, Lecce earned more points than any other team in Serie B.

The 2007–08 season saw Lecce trying to get back to Serie A. They earned 83 points and had the best defense. But they still had to play in promotion play-offs. In the semi-final, they beat Pisa twice. This earned them a spot in the final against AlbinoLeffe. They won the first game 1–0 away. Then, a 1–1 draw at home secured their promotion.

After some discussions, coach Papadopulo left. Mario Beretta took over. He had a good start in the 2008–09 Serie A season. He coached for 27 games. But after four losses in five matches, he was replaced by Luigi De Canio. The team earned only seven points in ten matches. This was not enough to keep Lecce in Serie A. They were moved down with one game left, after a 1–1 home draw against Fiorentina.

Lecce had a mixed start in the 2009–10 Serie B season. But they reached first place in November 2009 and stayed there. In May, they were close to promotion. They had to wait until the last match to celebrate their eighth promotion to the top league in 25 years. A 0–0 home draw with Sassuolo was enough to win the Serie B title. They also won the Coppa Ali della Vittoria.

Lecce had a good 2010–11 Serie A season. They avoided being moved down with one game left. They beat their rival Bari 2–0 away on May 15, 2011. In the last few matches, the team fought hard against other teams. Coach Luigi De Canio left the team in June.

In the 2011–12 Serie A season, Lecce was moved down to Serie B. The season started badly. New coach Eusebio Di Francesco was replaced in December. Serse Cosmi became the new coach. Lecce fought hard and earned many points. But they still could not avoid being moved down. This was due to four losses in their last five matches.

Years in the Third Division

On August 10, 2012, Lecce was moved down to 2012–13 Lega Pro Prima Divisione (the third division). This was because of an investigation into match-fixing. The former president, Semeraro, was also suspended from football for five years. On August 22, 2012, Lecce's move down was confirmed. In their first season back in the third division, Lecce finished second. They were surprisingly beaten in the promotion play-off finals by Carpi.

The next season ended similarly. Lecce did not win the league. They lost the play-off finals again, this time to Frosinone. This happened even with new high-level players like Fabrizio Miccoli. In 2014–15, Lecce finished sixth and did not enter the play-offs.

After the Tesoro family left, a group of business people took over the club. Saverio Sticchi Damiani led this group. The club finished third in the 2015–16 season. They were two points behind second place and qualified for the play-offs. They beat Bassano 3–0 at home. But in the semi-finals, Lecce lost to Foggia in both games. The next season, Lecce finished second. They were knocked out in the play-off quarterfinals by Alessandria after two draws and a penalty shoot-out.

Return to the Top League

In September 2017, Fabio Liverani became the new coach of Lecce. He led the team to two promotions in a row, from Serie C to Serie A. This brought the club back to Italy's top league after seven years. Lecce fought to stay in Serie A in the 2019–20 season. They were moved down on the last day after a home loss to Parma.

The team missed out on promotion to Serie A in the 2020–21 season. They lost to Venezia in the play-off semifinals. But then, with coach Marco Baroni, they won the 2021–22 Serie B championship. This was their tenth time being promoted to the top league. Lecce striker Massimo Coda was the top scorer in Serie B for two seasons in a row (2020–21 and 2021–22). The team then managed to stay in Serie A the next season with a game to spare. Baroni and Lecce went their separate ways at the end of the 2022–23 season.

Team Colors, Badge, and Nicknames

The team wears red and yellow stripes. These are the traditional colors of the city of Lecce. Players and fans are called salentini or giallorossi. The official song of Lecce is Giallorossi per Sempre. It was written by Gioy Rielli.

The symbol of Lecce is a female wolf standing under a holm oak tree. This tree is common in Apulia. The wolf and holm oak are also symbols of the city of Lecce.

Stadium

Lecce plays its home games at the Stadio Via del Mare. This stadium has seats for 31,533 people.

Club Rivalries

Lecce's main rival is S.S.C. Bari. This is the other most successful football team from Apulia. The game between them is called Derby di Puglia. The first Derby di Puglia was played on December 8, 1929, in Serie B. Lecce won that home game 1–0.

The derby has been played many times in Serie C, Coppa Italia, and especially in Serie A. The first derby in Serie A was on October 27, 1985, in Bari. Bari won that game. The most recent one was also in Bari on May 15, 2011. Lecce won 2–0 and stayed in Serie A. One of Lecce's most important derby wins was a 4–0 victory in Bari in Serie B on December 22, 2007.

Lecce also has a long-standing friendship with the fans of Palermo.

Players

Current Squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Christian Früchtl 4 DF Kialonda Gaspar 5 MF Medon Berisha 6 DF Federico Baschirotto (captain) 7 FW Tete Morente 8 MF Hamza Rafia 9 FW Nikola Krstović 10 FW Konan N'Dri 12 DF Frédéric Guilbert 14 MF Þórir Jóhann Helgason 17 DF Danilo Veiga 19 DF Gaby Jean 20 MF Ylber Ramadani 22 FW Lameck Banda 23 FW Rareș Burnete 25 DF Antonino Gallo 28 DF Sebastian Esposito 29 MF Lassana Coulibaly 30 GK Wladimiro Falcone (vice-captain) 32 GK Jasper Samooja

No. Position Player 36 MF Filip Marchwiński 42 DF Vernon Addo 44 DF Tiago Gabriel 50 FW Santiago Pierotti 75 MF Balthazar Pierret 77 MF Mohamed Kaba GK Alexandru Borbei DF Owen Kouassi DF Marlon Ubani MF Giacomo Faticanti MF Olaf Gorter MF Niko Kovač MF Youssef Maleh MF Ed McJannet MF Rémi Oudin MF Enes Yilmaz FW Francesco Camarda (on loan from AC Milan) FW Marco Delle Monache FW Pablo Rodríguez FW Till Winkelmann

Players on Loan

No. Position Player FW Eetu Mömmö (at Haka until 31 December 2025)

Other Players Under Contract

No. Position Player FW Henri Salomaa

Famous Players

Here are some notable players who have played for Lecce:

• Juan Barbas – An Argentina international. He played in the 1982 FIFA World Cup and won the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
• Antonio Conte – A former Lecce youth player and local. He became a famous manager, winning titles with Juventus and Chelsea. He also played for Juventus and the Italy national team.
• Graziano Pellè – An Italy international who came from Lecce's youth system. He made his Serie A debut with Lecce in 2004.
• Javier Chevantón – An Uruguay international and Lecce's all-time top scorer.
• Juan Cuadrado – A Colombia international.
• Guillermo Giacomazzi – An Uruguay international.
• Fabrizio Miccoli – A former Italy international and a big fan of the club since childhood.
• Luis Muriel – A Colombia international.
• Massimo Oddo – Was part of the team that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He played one season on loan at Lecce.
• Dimitris Papadopoulos – A Greece international who won UEFA Euro 2004.
• Pedro Pablo Pasculli – An Argentina international who won the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
• Nenad Tomović – A Serbia international.
• Mirko Vučinić – A Montenegro international who started his Serie A career with Lecce.
• Gheorghe Popescu – A Romania international.
• Valeri Bojinov – A Bulgaria international.
• Sebastjan Cimirotič – A Slovenia international.
• Kastriot Dermaku – An Albania international.
• Ylber Ramadani – An Albania international.
• Samuel Umtiti – A France international who won the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
• Franco Causio – An Italy international who won the 1982 FIFA World Cup.
• Christian Maggio – An Italy international who played one season on loan at Lecce.
• Francesco Moriero – An Italy international who started his Serie A career with Lecce.
• Pietro Paolo Virdis – An Italy international who finished his career in Lecce.
• Giuseppe Giannini – An Italy international who finished his career in Lecce.

Coaching Staff

Position	Staff
Head coach	Eusebio Di Francesco
Assistant head coach	Fabrizio Del Rosso
Technical coach	Nicola Caccia Giampiero Pinzi
Athletic coach	Massimo Neri Andrea Disderi
Athletic coach / Rehab fitness coach	Michele Sancucci
Match analyst	Stefano Romano
Goalkeeping coach	Luigi Sassanelli Lello Senatore
Head of medical staff	Giuseppe Congedo
CO-Head of medical staff	Antonio Orgiani
Health manager first team	Francesco Nuccio
Social doctor - Cardiologist	Antonio Tondo
Physiotherapist	Marco Camassa Francesco Soda Mario Trifoglio
Osteopath	Stefano Carrisi
Podiatrist	Anna Chiara Schido
Nutritionst	Mirco Spedicato Luigi Sturdà
Head of kit manager	Giovanni Fasano
Sporting director	Stefano Trinchera
Technical director	Pantaleo Corvino

Coaching History

Lecce has had many head coaches throughout its history. Sometimes, more than one coach was in charge in a single season. Here is a list of them from 1927 onwards.

Coaching Records

Club Achievements

• Serie B
  • Champions (2): 2009–10, 2021–22
• Serie C
  • Champions (4): 1945–46, 1975–76, 1995–96, 2017–18
• Coppa Italia Serie C
  • Champions (1): 1975–76
• Anglo-Italian Semiprofessional Cup
  • Champions (1): 1976–77

Youth Team Achievements

• Campionato Nazionale Primavera
  • Champions (3): 2002–03, 2003–04, 2022-23
• Coppa Italia Primavera
  • Champions (2): 2001–02, 2004–05
• Supercoppa Primavera
  • Champions (2): 2004, 2005

Seasons Played in Leagues

Level	Category	Participations	Debut	Last season	Total	Moves
A	Serie A	19	1985–86	2024–25	19	8 C
B	Serie B	29	1929–30	2021–22	29	10 2 ✟ 1
C	Southern Championship	3	1927–28	1945–46	41	5 1
	Serie C	35	1936–37	2017–18
	Serie C1	3	1995–1996	2013–14
85 out of 92 years of professional football in Italy since 1929
D	IV Serie	3	1955–56	1957–58	3	1
R	Apulia	2	1934–35	1935–36	2	1

Player Records

In bold are players who are still playing for Lecce.

Players Capped for Italy National Team

• Marco Cassetti (2 games played) – 2005
• Vincenzo Sicignano (1 call-up) – 2005
• Andrea Esposito (1 call-up) – 2009
• Wladimiro Falcone (1 call-up) – 2023

Players Capped for Italy Under-21 Team

Players Capped for Italy Under-23 Team

• Simone Altobelli (3 games)

Players Capped for Italy Military Football Team

• Pietro De Santis (3 games)

Players Capped for Other National Teams

This list shows foreign players who played at least one game for their national team while playing for Lecce.

World Cup Players

The following players were chosen by their country to play in the World Cup Finals while they were playing for Lecce.

UEFA European Championship Players

The following players were chosen by their country to play in the European Championship Finals while they were playing for Lecce.

Copa América Players

The following players were chosen by their country to play in the Copa América Finals while they were playing for Lecce.

African Cup of Nations Players

The following players were chosen by their country to play in the African Cup of Nations Finals while they were playing for Lecce.

Other Tournaments

As of 2024, no Lecce player has been chosen to play in the AFC Asian Cup, CONCACAF Gold Cup, or the OFC Nations Cup.

Stadium Information

• Name – Stadio Via del Mare
• City – Lecce
• Capacity – 31,533
• Opened – 1966
• Pitch Size – 105 x 70 meters

Lecce in Movies and Games

Lecce is mentioned in many famous Italian movies and TV shows. These include the movies Al bar dello sport, Benvenuti al Nord and Really SSSupercool: Chapter Two. It is also mentioned in the TV series I Cesaroni.

US Lecce is also mentioned in many songs. In the game Captain Tsubasa 5: Hasha no Shōgō Campione, the main character Tsubasa Oozora played for this team.

See also

In Spanish: Unione Sportiva Lecce para niños