The feeling at their home stadium was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their initial five matches, 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 Unforeseen Return
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to stay there a while longer. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
