The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed ten goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Had their campaign unraveling, or did there exist a thread keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
One individual continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this season. He completed the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were attempting to stay there a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined initially under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league with the club in 2022-23, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Finding His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
