The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, before he admitted that the management had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other first five games, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it has been hard to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Return
One individual continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, all but one of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
