Lazio’s Golden Run Promises a Monumental 2025 for Marco Baroni’s Men

While 2024 has been a true roller coaster for Lazio, the club’s current purple patch is teasing what could wind up being a historic 2025 for the Biancocelesti.

At the start of the year, the Aquile were struggling to find their feet under the guidance of Maurizio Sarri who seemingly lost control over the squad, failing to replicate the feats of a successful 2022/23 campaign.

With the club lagging behind in the Serie A standings, the Italian capital was hoping to make amends in the Champions League. After all, this tournament remains the most prestigious in club football, and is one of the most streamed sports events worldwide, not to mention the lucrative prize money on offer.

At the Stadio Olimpico, the Biancocelesti stunned perennial contenders Bayern Munich with a 1-0 win in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16, but the Bavarians retaliated with a 3-0 victory in the second leg that speeded up Sarri’s departure.

Following the Italian’s shocking resignation, club president Claudio Lotito resorted to Igor Tudor. But while the results slightly improved under the guidance of the Croatian manager, he did little to lift the mood in the locker room, with many players feeling alienated, while others were unhappy with their roles. Therefore, Tudor and Lazio agreed to part ways after three months.

Lazio’s Tumultuous 2023/24 Campaign

Afterwards, Lotito picked Marco Baroni as the new manager based on the advice of the club’s sporting director Angelo Fabiani. This choice proved unpopular with the fanbase who felt that the 61-year-old lacked the experience at the top level, with his past stints occurring at smaller Serie A clubs, or in the lower divisions.

Moreover, the club underwent a major overhaul, replacing senators like Ciro Immobile, Luis Alberto, Felipe Anderson and Danilo Cataldi with young profiles, including Tijjani Noslin, Loum Tchaouna, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Boulaye Dia. But despite the lack of star power in the squad, Lazio have been excelling thus far this season, exceeding all expectations.

Baroni’s Arrival Sparks Lazio Upturn

The Biancocelesti are currently riding a seven-match winning streak. Moreover, they have won 11 out of their last 12 fixtures across all competitions, with the only exception being a defeat at the hands of Juventus after being reduced to 10 men. This put them a single point behind league leaders Napoli. The Biancocelesti are also leading the 36-club Europa League group stage table with a perfect record after four outings.

Therefore, the sky appears to be the limit for this hungry and ambitious Lazio side under the guidance of Baroni who has already won the respect of his old detractors. And while it is impossible to envision where the club will be by this time next year, the Laziali are certainly much more enthusiastic about 2025 compared to their mood towards the end of last year.

So could 2025 yield a trophy for Lazio? Only time will tell. But one thing is for sure, the players are gradually beginning to reveal their great ambitions out loud, and as they say, believing is the first step to achieving.