Stefano Trinchera, Lecce’s technical area manager, spoke at a press conference as he took stock at the end of the transfer window: "This press conference brings an intense and complicated transfer window to a close. A market lasting two months makes life difficult for everyone. I’m happy because players have arrived who fit well with our needs and our playing model. They are targets we wanted strongly. I thank the club, president Sticchi Damiani, who was a great support. He made the process easier for me in all the delicate situations. I’m happy with everything we have done in these months, today we throw ourselves headlong into the day-to-day running. We also breathe a sigh of relief over those distractions that the transfer market brings to our players. We have done sensible things. We did important work on departures and the most difficult exercise was keeping our key players. It wasn’t easy. Our players were receiving enquiries every day, I stood firm thinking that three or four changes could be made to this team to raise the level. That’s how it was. Aside from the discomfort of Banda’s situation and Ramadani’s sale, for nine elevenths the team are the same as last year. We have raised the level, then it’s over to the pitch".
On Tiago Gabriel - "We really wanted him, everyone was talking about him. The conditions were not there to complete a deal that was advantageous for the club, we are a solid club that can afford the luxury of not selling an important player. I spoke with him and yesterday with Jorge Mendes. There is maximum willingness between the parties. We had agreed that we would discuss the contract at the end of the transfer window if he stayed. I liked the post the lad made on Instagram. He is a serious, mature and intelligent lad, he had the chance to go to a big club that would have changed his life but this was not the right time. Now we go again with the utmost focus, in a league in which even the newly promoted sides have had a stellar transfer window. We need to fight with the right spirit and Tiago will be a protagonist".