The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Had their campaign falling apart, or had there never been a thread maintaining its structure to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he admitted that the management had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it's been difficult to tell if progress is being made or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Comeback
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He completed last season on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his parent club were pushing for him to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to weaken their team with no new signings.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 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 departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Finding His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
