The mood at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been a binding element holding it together in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, only for him admitted that the club had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Reports that he might quit were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Comeback
One individual continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this year. He completed last season on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there temporarily. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He signed originally under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, almost all of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to identify the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. 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 during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn