The feeling at Lazio's home ground was far from happy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, only for him admitted that the club had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy during matches as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Comeback
A single player continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were attempting to stay there a while longer. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.
He joined in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances with the club in 2022-23, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to work out the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
