🔗 Share this article

The mood at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.

A Season Coming Unstitched?

Had their campaign falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion maintaining its structure from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he publicly stated that the board had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Reports that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.

The Roman club were just as chaotic in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to tell if progress is being made or imploding.

The Youngster's Unexpected Presence

A single player remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this season. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were attempting to remain there for another season. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to weaken their team without replacements.

He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances with the club in 2022-23, all but one of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."

Uncovering His True Position

Maybe Sarri was persistently working to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn