The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, observers have struggled to tell if they are improving or imploding.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Comeback
One individual remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He was on last season at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were advocating for him to stay there a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. They were unable to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived originally under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to determine the specific characteristics of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
