The mood at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals 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.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, only for him publicly stated that the management had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy during matches as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Presence
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his parent club were advocating for him to stay there temporarily. The registration embargo forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team with no new signings.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, all but one of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Discovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
