The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Had their campaign unraveling, or was there ever a thread holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, only for him admitted that the management had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Speculation that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if they are improving or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Presence
A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He spent the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his parent club were pushing for him to remain there temporarily. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. They were unable to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He joined initially during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
