The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or was there ever any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
The Youngster's Surprising Comeback
A single player continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He spent the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, almost all of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of his skill set. Billed as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
