Gaspar remains at the center: "Lecce, another challenge."

Last year he was a surprise, today he's a certainty. Kialonda Gaspar is one of the leaders of the Lecce side to come. At the center of defense, the Angolan is one of the key players around whom coach Eusebio Di Francesco is working to best engineer the team's chemistry. His personality and his solid defensive skills make him a highly reliable player, one the Giallorossi are banking on both now and for the future. Gaspar spoke from the training camp in Bressanone, taking stock of the team's work so far: "This training camp is going well. I see a united group with the right attitude; we must work with this spirit every day." The Angolan center-back focused on coach Di Francesco's contribution: "When a new coach arrives, there are always new things to work on. At this stage, we are incorporating his instructions; that's the most important aspect right now. Clearly, the coach brings a different philosophy, he proposes a different style of football, he demands a different approach; many things have changed compared to the past. The important thing is to understand his requests and implement them as best we can. By working together, we can do well.

Gaspar emphasizes the difficulties of the upcoming season, Lecce's fourth consecutive Serie A campaign: "It will be a tough season, we know it will require extra effort on our part. We're working well, all together for a common goal." Gaspar is expected to have what could be his definitive breakthrough season. The twenty-seven-year-old central defender arrived in Salento exactly a year ago, when Lecce paid around two million euros to snatch him from Portuguese club Estrela Amadora, the club from which the Giallorossi subsequently acquired Tiago Gabriel and Danilo Veiga last January. Expectations were high for Gaspar, especially given the burdensome legacy of Marin Pongracic, who moved to Fiorentina, which he was expected to take over. The Angolan quickly established himself and carved out a leading role, forming a reliable central defender pairing with Federico Baschirotto. Last season, however, was anything but easy. Conversely, a serious injury significantly slowed his performance. In Roma vs. Lecce on December 7 of last year, Gaspar suffered a right knee sprain that resulted in a torn medial collateral ligament. This problem kept him out of action for a long time, depriving the Giallorossi of one of their most iconic players in terms of strength and personality. His return to the starting lineup came on March 29, ironically against Roma, and from then on he never left the pitch. Having regained his starting spot at center back, Gaspar began to dictate the game once again, making a valuable contribution in the final stretch of the season. His role in the decisive sprint to the end of the season was crucial, allowing Lecce to earn the points needed to secure their historic third consecutive Serie A relegation.

After a starring first season, despite injury, Gaspar has the potential to further raise his game this year. Lecce knows this well, and they're holding onto him despite the inevitable transfer market pressure. The Angolan is highly sought after by several Serie A clubs, especially Udinese, but the Giallorossi have absolutely no intention of losing a key player in the back line and aren't willing to sit down at the negotiating table. The Lecce of the future won't be without Gaspar, who, along with Baschirotto, forms a well-matched pairing that, in his second year, will be able to count on even better chemistry than in the past. Coach Di Francesco is also well aware of this, and he's closely evaluating his squad during his training camp. Clearly, there's still more than a month to go until the transfer window closes, but the feeling is that, regardless of any potential departures, Lecce can already count on a well-rounded and well-matched group. In short, all the ideal conditions seem to be in place to lay the foundations for what will be a very important season in Serie A.