Loïs Openda Reflects on Serie A Experience and Growth

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 brief Italian adventure under “failure.”

For him, that solitary season was an education.

Speaking to L’Equipe, the Belgian forward looked back on his arrival talks and the tactical shock of Serie A. “I spoke with Damien Comolli, who was then the club director, and he explained how he intended to use me in a difficult league. In Italy, the team that really exploits depth is Inter. Roma are only just starting to understand it.”

That idea of “depth” – attacking the space behind defences – sits at the heart of Openda’s game. In Italy, he discovered it is not always at the heart of the system.

The 24-year-old then opened up on the traffic jam in his position and the decision to move on. “The coach wanted me, but Vlahovic and David were already playing in my position. 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 chased minutes. Snatched a few. Never truly displaced the established names.

“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. 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.”

No bitterness. Just a striker convinced that a tough year in a tactical league has sharpened weapons he didn’t even know he had – and that, somewhere else, those runs in behind will finally be fully used.