Former Rosenborg BK winger Stefano Vecchia is on trial with Aalesund Fotballklubb. The 31-year-old is a free agent after his contract with Malmö FF expired last month, and he needs to find a new club before the transfer window closes on Thursday, September 10.
According to Gauldalsposten, Aalesund's sporting director Oddbjørn Lie confirmed Vecchia is training with the club. "Kjetil (Rekdal) and Geir (Frigård) know Vecchia from before. He will train here for a few days," Lie told the outlet. Vecchia has a background at Rosenborg, where he played in the Eliteserien in 2021 and 2022. During 40 appearances for Rosenborg BK, he scored an impressive 23 goals for a winger. He was sold to Malmö ahead of the 2023 season.
Aalesund has a busy week of assessments before Thursday's deadline. In addition to Vecchia, the club also has 23-year-old Argentine midfielder Ivo Mammini on trial. Mammini has a background with Gimnasia in Argentina and will train with Aalesund until and including Wednesday. Oddbjørn Lie described the situation with Mammini to Gauldalsposten: "It is a player we have had played in, who comes here completely without any obligations." The club must make a quick decision on both players.
For Rosenborg BK, the focus is now on the match against Tromsø at home on September 12. The team sits sixth in the Eliteserien with 27 points from 19 games. They have won 8, drawn 3, and lost 8. With 31 goals scored and 26 conceded, they have a goal difference of +5. Rosenborg is, however, a full 20 points behind league leaders Bodø/Glimt, showing the title race this season is tough.
Rosenborg BK is coming off a solid 2-1 victory over Viking on August 14. The team's recent form over the last five matches is impressive with four wins and just one loss, the sequence is WWLWW. They are on a two-game winning streak. This provides optimism ahead of the meeting with Tromsø, who themselves are in third place in the table.
On the injury front, Rosenborg BK must still manage without several key players. Dino Islamović, Iver Fossum, Johan Johanessen Bakke, and Jonas Svensson are all still sidelined. This affects the manager's options, and updates on their condition are available on our injuries page.
The potential move of an experienced player like Stefano Vecchia to a competitor could affect the balance in the middle of the table. Aalesund will hope he can contribute goals and experience, something he proved he possesses during his time at Rosenborg. For Rosenborg BK themselves, there is no direct impact, as the player left the club three seasons ago. Their attention is focused on securing a place near the top of the standings and preparing for an important home match this week.
Rosenborg BK faces Tromsø at Lerkendal Stadium on Saturday, September 12.
