LECCE A few minutes before midnight, Wednesday evening, US Lecce, through its social media channels, released images of defender Kialonda Gaspar arriving at the airport. With long hair, like Chris Smalling, the Roma defender was filmed and photographed by those present at the airport at the time, intrigued by this big boy with dark skin and an imposing physique. There were dozens of comments on the social media pages of the Giallorossi club. And regarding his physique and a recurring description by Corvino when presenting tall, but not necessarily robust, footballers, one wrote: “more than an Angolan he seems like an Angalune to me”, referring precisely to his height. Corvino, you will remember, said this about Helgason, former Lecce midfielder, when, in the press room at Via del Mare, he summed up the Icelandic footballer’s appearance in one word. But you know, Corvino analyses a footballer in all its aspects before choosing him.
Together with the sporting director Stefano Trinchera they will have carefully evaluated the characteristics of the player. He is a central defender, 193 cm tall. The two Giallorossi managers will have watched him for a long time in action with the jersey of Estrela Amadora, a team from the Liga Portugal. In the last championship Gaspar He played 27 games and scored 1 goal. He played a total of 2350 minutes. He was a regular starter and captain of the red and green team that he left in the Portuguese top league after having achieved safety thanks to a haul of 33 points. The transfer of the Angolan defender cost Lecce no less than two million. To convince Gaspar’s former club, a ten percent bonus was included in the contract to be paid to the Portuguese club in the event of a future resale. The Angolan central defender, born in 1997, has signed a contract until June 30, 2027 with an option for the following two years. Yesterday, therefore, was his first day in the city. To tell the truth, like Pierret and Tete Morente, he stopped first in Cutrofiano, at the center where he underwent the first part of medical examinations, and then in another center in the city. Then the passage to the headquarters where she met the general director of the technical area Pantaleo Corvino and the sports director Stefano Trinchera. Photos and handshakes with the new Lecce defender who will be back in the city in a few days for the pre-meeting as has been the case for several years now. Gaspar is ready to face his new football adventure, the first in Italy. And we will have to wait for the first matches to understand if Corvino and Trinchera have seen very well and can anticipate the victory of another bet.
For now the central defensive block is made up of Baschirotto, Pongracic and Gaspar. Without forgetting that Blin always represents an important resource, albeit a reserve, for coach Gotti. It had also been the same for the coaches who preceded him. The Frenchman, however, due to his characteristics, was considered a midfielder in all respects. And for this reason Lecce, having left Touba and Dermaku, will try to complete the central nucleus with another arrival. To return to Kialonda Gaspar, who will soon also learn the Italian language to communicate with new teammates and members of the technical staff, is the first Angolan footballer in the history of Lecce. In fact, never before had a player of Angolan nationality worn the Giallorossi shirt. After Banda, therefore, the first Zambian player in the Giallorossi, it is up to Gaspar to update the pages of the club’s history chaired by Saverio Sticchi Damiani.
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