Lecce Home Shirt 2001/02 – Gheorghe Popescu – No.10 – Player Issued – Asics – Serie A

Gheorghe Popescu's Player Issued Jersey: A Rare Relic from Lecce 2001/02

A rare Player Issued US Lecce jersey from the 2001/2002 season, a long-sleeved Home version, customized with the name and number 10 of Romanian legend Gheorghe Popescu. Made by technical sponsor Asics, it features the iconic red and yellow vertical stripes, a red polo collar with yellow trim, and red cuffs. The front showcases the Asics logo, the U.S. Lecce crest, and commercial sponsor banca121, while the official Lega Calcio patch of the era is applied to the sleeve, and the words U.S. LECCE are on the back of the collar. The jersey features the finishes and technical details typical of team-issued gear, distinct from the commercial versions intended for fans. This 100% polyester, made in Italy garment, preserved in excellent condition, is an authentic testament to a season that saw an international-level champion wear the red and yellow.

The Champion: Gheorghe Popescu

Gheorghe Popescu (Calafat, October 9, 1967), known as Gică, is a former Romanian defender considered, along with Gheorghe Hagi, the greatest player in his country's history. An elegant and refined central defender in playmaking, he played for some of Europe's biggest clubs: PSV Eindhoven, Tottenham, Barcelona, with whom he won the 1996-97 Cup Winners' Cup, and Galatasaray, with whom he won three Turkish championships and the 1999-2000 UEFA Cup as captain. In the summer of 2001, at 34, he chose to test himself in Serie A, moving to Lecce, where he wore the unusual number 10 as a defender and played a season as a pillar of the defense, with 28 appearances and 3 goals. A fixture of the Romanian national team with over 100 caps, he remains one of the most elegant defenders of his generation.

What is a Player Issued Jersey?

A Player Issued jersey is a kit specifically prepared for a particular player but not necessarily used in an official match. It differs from the commercial version by a series of precise technical characteristics: professional finishes, match-grade materials and cut, player customization, and details reserved for team supply. It is hierarchically superior to the store version and inferior only to the Match Worn. For collectors, it represents an authentic piece of very high historical value, especially when linked to an international champion like Popescu.

Authenticity and MTM Guarantee

MTM Memorabilia is the Italian benchmark for discerning collectors of authentic sports memorabilia. Each jersey is selected with rigorous criteria of authenticity, provenance, and quality by our experts. The originality of this item is directly guaranteed by MTM. Every shipment is made with rigid, shock-proof, and humidity-resistant packaging to ensure maximum protection during transport. Express courier delivery within 24/72 hours of payment confirmation, both for Italy and abroad.