The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been a binding element maintaining its structure from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Speculation that he might quit were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic during matches as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or imploding.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
One individual continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio during this campaign. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in 2022-23, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to work out the nature of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn