One renewal down…

By: salvatore | October 22nd, 2008

Well, there’s been a contract renewal in Lazio Land, but it might not be the one that most fans have been waiting for. Every one knows that Goran’s contract situation has yet to be worked out, and because an extension is absolutely essential for the future of the team, it’s the announcement that will really cement this year’s enthusiasm (the Bolognese experience notwithstanding). Every now and then, someone on either side of the whole thing will throw us a bone about it being “close”, but then nothing happens. Patience, just a little patience…

In the meantime, we’ll have to make do with the news that Stefano Mauri has extended his contract with the Biancoceleste.

Given Mauri’s god-awful form last year, it’s a bit surprising. I mean if you’ll remember, Stefano managed to play himself out of a starting spot, ride the bench for most of the second half of the season (on an injury riddled team), and even got into trouble when his father suggested he should play for Rioma Merda.

Suffice to say, it was not a good year for him…but then again, it was not a good year for anyone around here, so maybe he deserves a bit of slack, especially since he’s looked much more confident and in form this year. In fact, you can argue that the team looked partially out of sync in the early stages this Sunday because he wasn’t on the field, helping the midfield and attack link-up.

Good news then? Sure, I think so, particularly if he can keep it up this year. So far, it isn’t clear how long the extension is, or if he’ll be making any more money, but it’s believed that his contract (previously expiring in 2011) will now run to 2012.

Here are some of big Stefano’s highlights:

Meanwhile, it seems that Delio might have noticed the defensive meltdown against Bologna, and is planning on making almost a full change to the backline. Rossi is said to be considering De Silvestri and Radu on the right and left sides, respectively, with Rozehnal taking over one of the central positions again. Who will partner him is still unsure. Lazialita seems to think that Cribari will be rested, which would make Siviglia the choice (unless Diakite gets a chance, which seems unlikely). Siviglia would be a truly frightening selection when you think of how bad he was on Sunday, but he did look good playing with Rozehnal in preseason friendlies, so maybe the big Czech just brings out the best in him. Right? (gulp)

The wholesale change of the line is a bit worrying, but let’s not forget the quality of both Lollo and Radu. For most of us going in this year, these two were sure-fire starters. So who knows, maybe the 3-1 loss will be a blessing in disguise (in that it gives them a chance again). We’ll see.