The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had allowed a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign unraveling, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he admitted that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Comeback
One individual kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He was on last season with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
