The mood at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had conceded ten goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for accounting issues. Speculation that his departure was imminent were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio became as messy on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it's been difficult to determine if they're getting better or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Comeback
At least one man remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this year. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
He signed originally during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in 2022-23, almost all of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the exact type of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
