Nicolò Casale hasn’t managed to confirm last season’s performances in the early going, to the point that Maurizio Sarri often preferred Patric over him. He has been a shell of his former self after earning the call-up by the national team.
The camp of the defender had even asked to be rewarded with a new contract last summer, just a year after his arrival. President Claudio Lotito quickly rebuffed the request.
Casale and Alessio Romagnoli contributed to 21 clean sheets in 2022/2023. Instead, the Lazio defense has been very leaky so far. The youngster had another poor showing in Rotterdam in the most recent Champions League game.
According to Il Messaggero (via OneFootball), the team fears he’s being affected by a mental block following his involvement in the ongoing betting scandal. He has denied any accusation and is not currently under investigation. He has sued journalist Fabrizio Corona who made his name.
However, the speculations seem to be affecting Casale on the pitch. Lazio don’t have alternatives to keep using him routinely to not lose him completely. They hope the physiological and judicial issues will get cleaned up soon enough.
The 25-year-old has appeared seven times so far. The Biancocelesti have blanked the opponents just once with him on the pitch. Instead, they have surrendered 12 total goals.
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