Garzya on Lecce-Roma: transfer window not yet closed
Gigi Garzya, a former player of both Lecce and Roma, assessed the upcoming Serie A match between the sides on Monday, highlighting the challenges each team faces. Lecce secured their first away win of the season at Venezia with a strong second-half display, though Garzya noted they had to absorb the hosts' tempo for much of the match. He praised midfielder Olaf Gorter for his quality and personality, and singled out the summer arrival of Ilić as evidence of Lecce's market ambition. On Roma's preparations under Gasperini, Garzya said the squad has been reinforced with players who strengthen it, though he acknowledged the departure of Zeki Çelik as significant—though Nahuel Molina possesses sufficient quality and competitive hunger to offset that loss. He outlined the tactical challenge: "A thing Roma must pay attention to is that Lecce is a team that doesn't give you anything for free; in that it's a bit like Roma, all things considered. Rhythm, ball recovery, rapid transitions, a very mobile attack." With the Champions League now part of Roma's fixture list, Garzya stressed the need for at least six reliable defenders in the squad, given the physical demands of Gasperini's system and the volume of matches. He praised the addition of Konstantinos Koulierakis as a carefully targeted choice, reflecting Gasperini's approach of never approving signings merely to inflate numbers. On Roma's ambitions for the season, Garzya urged focus on maintaining Champions League status as a priority. "It is early to say and ultimately the transfer market might not yet be finished," he stated. "We will also see what the others do by the close. Certainly you must do everything to maintain the Champions League position, because Roma must play this competition regularly. Then we'll see if appetite comes with eating."
