The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or did there exist a binding element maintaining its structure from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for accounting issues. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized in their performances as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo forced a rethink. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league with the club in 2022-23, all but one of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
