The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign unraveling, or was there ever a binding element maintaining its structure to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, before he publicly stated that the management had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or imploding.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Comeback
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio during this campaign. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
