The mood at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread holding it together from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, but then he admitted that the board had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Reports that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining first five games, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to determine if they're getting better or imploding.
The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback
One individual kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to stay there a while longer. The registration embargo forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team with no new signings.
He signed originally under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 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 "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Finding His True Position
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to work out the exact type of the player's talent. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
