The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him admitted that the club had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were facing for fiscal problems. Rumours that he might quit were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this season. He was on the last one on loan at Parma and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team with no new signings.
He joined initially when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
