The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in ten goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy in their performances as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to tell if they are improving or imploding.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He spent last season at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. They were unable to thin their squad with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived initially under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the specific characteristics of his skill set. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
