The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing 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 a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or was there ever a binding element holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, before he to later acknowledge that the management had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized during matches as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, observers have struggled to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Comeback
One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He was on the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in 2022-23, all but one of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was still trying to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
