The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a side 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 most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever a binding element holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Speculation that he might quit were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their first five games, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to ascertain if they are improving or imploding.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were attempting to stay there temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to weaken their team without replacements.
He signed originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league with the club in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
