The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been a thread maintaining its structure in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, but then he publicly stated that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that he might quit were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining first five games, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
One individual remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this year. He was on last season at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his parent club were attempting to remain there a while longer. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He signed originally under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was still trying to work out the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
