The mood at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, only for him publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Return
One individual remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his owning club were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances with the club in 2022-23, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
