The atmosphere at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or was there ever any cohesion holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he admitted that the management had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Reports that he could resign were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating 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, it's been difficult to tell if progress is being made or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He was on the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were advocating for him to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. They were unable to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the exact type of his skill set. Labeled as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
