The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had allowed a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he to later acknowledge that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if progress is being made or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Presence
At least one man remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He was on last season with Parma on loan and, early this summer, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
He signed in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
