The feeling at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had let in a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Had their campaign unraveling, or did there exist a thread keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their first five games, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it's been difficult to ascertain if they are improving or imploding.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
A single player remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this season. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The registration embargo forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to determine the specific characteristics of his skill set. Labeled as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
