Three is the magic number for Lecce, or perhaps the number of doom. 

Since gaining promotion to Serie A for the first time in 1985, the Puglia outfit have never stayed in the Italian top flight for more than three consecutive seasons.

On three separate occasions over the past 40 years, I Salentini have dropped down to Serie B after a disappointing third campaign.

This should ring alarm bells, as Lecce are currently on their third consecutive season mixing it with the big boys, having gone up in 2021-22.

Last season the club secured survival with a cushion of ease, finishing three points above relegated Frosinone after a decent run of form in the spring.

This was down to former Udinese coach Luca Gotti, who replaced current Empoli manager Roberto D’Aversa in mid-March. 

Gotti was then handed the job permanently in the summer, but results haven’t exactly been forthcoming at the beginning of this season. Lecce are currently hovering over the relegation zone after just one win in seven games and are only above Genoa in the table due to a slightly better defensive record. 

There have been some heavy defeats already this season: the opening day demolition by Atalanta at Stadio del Mare could be viewed as setting the tone for their season, and the 3-0 defeat by Milan at San Siro was a game in which Milan were home and dry by half-time. 

The 2-0 defeat to Inter in the same stadium a month before had been the same, with the Nerazzurri hardly needing to get out of second gear.

Yet all is not lost. The season is still early and Gotti’s side have several winnable games in the lead-up to Christmas.

Lecce registered eight wins in Serie A last season to ensure survival, they will likely need around the same number again this season. Their victory over Cagliari means just another seven could be needed to survive the cursed third season.

But can they win seven more games? The jury is out.

Transfers: Lecce spent next to little in the summer transfer market, mostly opting for free signings or loans. Polish attacking midfielder Filip Marchwinski was the club’s most expensive signing at €3m. Angolan centre-back Kialonda Gaspar was signed from Portuguese outfit Estrela, while the club took advantage of Salernitana’s relegation to the second tier by nabbing Malian midfielder Lassana Coulibaly for just under €2m.

Ante Rebic, a seasoned Serie A campaigner, was brought in on a free transfer after his experience in Turkey came to an end. Meanwhile, young talent Luis Hasa was signed from Juventus’ Next Gen academy after the midfielder was let go. 

Best performers: Despite a lack of results in the opening weeks, several Lecce players have performed admirably. Gaspar has been dependable at centre back, while Ylber Ramadani, formerly of Scottish side Aberdeen, has been one of Gotti’s better players in midfield. 

Tactics: Gotti began the season implementing a 4-2-3-1 system, a very attack-minded system for a club aiming to survive another campaign in Serie A. He’s since pivoted somewhat and utilised a 4-3-3 and a 4-4-2 depending on the opponent.

In the 1-0 win over Cagliari he used a 4-2-3-1 formation, for example, yet in the defeat to Milan and the draw with Parma Gotti shifted to a 4-3-3 and a 4-4-2 respectively. It gives the impression he’s still figuring out his best system with the current batch of players.