The mood at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist a binding element maintaining its structure from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he admitted that the management had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their first five games, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it's been difficult to tell if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Surprising Presence
One individual continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio during this campaign. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were attempting to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad without replacements.
He joined in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, all but one of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
