The feeling at Lazio's home ground was far from happy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had let in a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, but then he admitted that the board had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Speculation that he might quit were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized in their performances as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if they are improving or imploding.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Presence
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He was on last season on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to weaken their team lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived initially during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league with the club in 2022-23, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the exact type of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
