The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or did there exist a thread keeping it intact to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him admitted that the club had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Return
A single player kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this season. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
He joined originally during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
