Loïs Openda Reflects on His Italian Adventure

Loïs Openda has missed out on Belgium’s 2026 World Cup squad and endured a lean year in front of goal, but he refuses to file his Italian adventure under “failure”.

The forward, speaking to L’Equipe, described his single season in Serie A as a tough but calculated step in his development, one he took with open eyes.

“I spoke with Damien Comolli, who was then the club director, and he explained how he intended to use me in a difficult league,” Openda said, underlining that the challenge had been clearly laid out from the start. “In Italy, the team that really exploits depth is Inter. Roma are only just starting to understand it.”

That tactical landscape shaped everything. Openda thrives on running in behind, attacking space, stretching defences. Serie A, he quickly discovered, does not always indulge that profile.

Inside his own dressing room, the battle for minutes was just as fierce. “The coach wanted me, but Vlahovic and David were already playing in my position,” he explained. The Belgian found allies, but also obstacles. “I had good chemistry with David, but the team wasn’t used to playing with a player who runs in behind, and Vlahovic tended to keep the ball to himself.”

He pushed for opportunities anyway. Some came. Not enough.

“I tried to get my chance, and sometimes I did, but towards the end of the season, I realised that to play, I had to leave,” Openda admitted. That realisation did not arrive with bitterness, but with a kind of cold clarity. “It wasn’t a mistake, and it allowed me to work on aspects I hadn’t considered. I knew exactly what I was getting into, and I’m sure that in other circumstances, it would have gone better.”

A year that cost him a World Cup place has, in his eyes, still sharpened his game. The real verdict will come in what he does next.