The mood at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed ten goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or had there never been a binding element maintaining its structure to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, only for him admitted that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were facing for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it's been difficult to determine if they're getting better or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio during this campaign. He spent the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were advocating for him to stay there temporarily. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived initially during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, almost all of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn