#leece

Fallen London birthday? Time to celebrate our OCs! Here's a couple of sketches that I had on my old Leece twitter account, as well as a commission from the wonderful capricreep. Leece, the honeysipper who wears fight-club ribbons in her hair, never says no to a drink, and is married to London's premier protagonist (in addition to a man in a mirror). I intend to post Leece fics this year, God willing and the Stolen River don't rise. Also I can't stop writing Fallen London ballads to sing in videocalls so please enjoy one snippet saved.

Last Year Finish: Promoted From Serie B

Predicted Finish: 19th

Odds To Win Serie A: 4500 to 1 via OddsChecker

Prospects:

After missing out on promotion in 2020-21, Lecce took Italy’s second division by storm last season, as Marco Baroni’s men earned their second Serie B title. It remains to be seen if I Salentini learned their lesson from three seasons ago, when they suffered a heart-breaking relegation on the final of day of the campaign, and despite a busy summer, the early signs are worrying.

Lecce already brought in 10 new players before the first round of fixtures, but at the same time lost Serie B’s top scorer in the last two seasons Massimo Coda, their first-choice goalkeeper Gabriel, as well as Mario Gargiulo, who was ever-present for Baroni’s side last season. Antonio Barreca’s loan spell from Monaco also came to an end over the summer.

Kristijan Bistrovic’s loan from CSKA Moscow seems like a strong move and Lecce should be an exciting side to watch, but at this stage there are more questions marks than guarantees for Marco Baroni. Can Falcone be a starter on a top level for a full season? Who is going to score the goals after Coda’s departure. Can any of the youngsters really make a difference in Serie A just yet?

It’s very likely that many neutral fans will be rooting for Lecce, due to the attacking style of football the club established in recent years. However, all of the above suggests a turbulent campaign that might see the Giallorossi fail to stay up for more than a single season yet again.

Transfers:

Leece has brought in some interesting players with Serie A experience, as Gianluca Frabotta, Lorenzo Colombo, Kristoffer Askildsen and charismatic goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone were all loaned from Juventus, Milan and Sampdoria respectively, all of which should add to the talent ranks at Leece, but it's not enough for them to be competitive week after week in a strong Serie A. Still, Lecce added a strong contingent of youngsters and built for the future with signings such as defensive midfielder Daniel Semak, who joined from Slavia Prague, right winger Lamec Branda from Maccabi Petah-Tikva and teenage striker Joel Persson from Roma’s primavera. They may not be long for Serie A, but this is a team that would outright dominant Serie B for years if promotion wasn't a consideration.

One To Watch:

Wladimir Falcone has big gloves to fill, as Gabriel was rock-solid between the sticks for Lecce last term. Marco Baroni’s men had the best defense in Serie B last season and with the Brazilian shot stopper now gone, there will be huge pressure on the former Sampdoria back-up goalkeeper. Falcone impressed in his 10 appearances for I Blucerchiati last term and was even picked as the Man of the Match on two occasions. However, with Lecce now missing an established goalscorer after Massimo Coda’s departure, the Giallorossi’s goalkeeper will have to be impeccable in goal if his side are about to secure salvation.

Outlook: