The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for accounting issues. Speculation that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy during matches as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to tell if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Surprising Return
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to remain there a while longer. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He joined in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, all but one of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to work out the nature of his skill set. Billed as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
