The mood at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized in their performances as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Return
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He was on the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were attempting to remain there a while longer. The signing restriction forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to work out the nature of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
