The mood at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had let in ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, but then he admitted that the board had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were facing for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club became as messy in their performances as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
A single player kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to stay there temporarily. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
