The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he publicly stated that the management had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were facing for accounting issues. Reports that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio became as messy on the pitch as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining first five games, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio during this campaign. He spent the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were advocating for him to stay there a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He joined originally 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 coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was persistently working to determine the nature of his skill set. Labeled as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
