Lotito Brings Priest To Formello As Lazio Seek Relief From Injury Crisis

Lazio’s season has taken on a surreal and almost spiritual tone. Faced with an endless series of injuries since the end of September, club president Claudio Lotito had begun seeking divine protection, more out of desperation than superstition. After weeks of contemplating the idea, he finally arranged for a blessing at Formello in the hope of reversing the team’s misfortune.

According to Corriere dello Sport, the opportunity came on Friday when Lotito welcomed a group of guests to the training center, including a priest. The intention was clear. The blessing would be extended to every area of Formello, beginning with the technical departments, as a symbolic attempt to ward off the negative streak that had caused so many physical setbacks.

Between September and October, as Lazio dealt with multiple simultaneous injuries, numerous theories emerged in an attempt to explain the collapse. Maurizio Sarri defended himself by reminding observers that many players had already carried issues from previous months. During internal meetings, staff members discussed the impact of the recently re-turfed pitches at Formello, which several players admitted had caused discomfort. Lotito, however, looked beyond the technical and athletic factors. Convinced that something more intangible was affecting the squad, he considered the presence of a negative influence around the players. The idea of seeking a blessing grew from this belief.

Today, the atmosphere at Lazio is far less dramatic. Sarri has gradually recovered almost all of his players, with the only exception being Nicolò Rovella. For this reason, Lotito decided that the international break was the perfect moment to guarantee a formal blessing for the entire team before the league resumes with the match against Lecce.

Ironically, just as the blessing at Formello was completed, more bad news arrived. Rovella will have to undergo surgery after the conservative therapy failed to eliminate his pubalgia. In recent days, the midfielder had increased the intensity of his training, running with and without the ball. At first he felt no discomfort, but gradually the pain returned, ending any hope of avoiding the operation he postponed a month and a half ago.

The coach will return to training on Tuesday afternoon following two days of rest. By then, he will receive the results of medical evaluations for Taty Castellanos and Nuno Tavares. Both players hope to be cleared to rejoin the group ahead of the Lecce match. Matteo Cancellieri, on the other hand, will need additional time before returning to full training.