The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or did there exist a binding element keeping it intact to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he admitted that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy on the pitch as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other first five games, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to determine if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Return
A single player remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were advocating for him to stay there a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
He joined initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was still trying to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
