The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign falling apart, or was there ever a binding element holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, but then he publicly stated that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic during matches as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to tell if progress is being made or imploding.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
He signed in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in 2022-23, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of his skill set. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
