The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed ten goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread holding it together to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the management had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their initial five matches, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Return
One individual kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to reduce their roster without replacements.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in 2022-23, the vast majority of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to work out the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
