The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist a thread holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, but then he admitted that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were about to receive for accounting issues. Rumours that he might quit were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their first five games, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to tell if progress is being made or imploding.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed the last one on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were pushing for him to extend his stay for another season. The registration embargo forced a rethink. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Originally described as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn