The feeling at Lazio's home ground was far from happy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or was there ever a binding element maintaining its structure from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, before he admitted that the club had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized during matches as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to determine if they are improving or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Comeback
One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this season. He was on last season on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances with the club in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to identify the exact type of his skill set. Billed as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
