The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded ten 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 chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, only for him publicly stated that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Comeback
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He completed the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there temporarily. The registration embargo forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He joined initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, almost all of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to determine the nature of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
