🔗 Share this article

The feeling at Lazio's home ground was far from happy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.

A Season Unraveling?

Had their campaign coming unstitched, or had there never been any cohesion keeping it intact to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, but then he publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Speculation that he might quit were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.

The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it has been hard to determine if progress is being made or collapsing.

The Youngster's Unexpected Return

At least one man remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his owning club were attempting to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad lacking backup options.

Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."

Uncovering His True Position

It's possible the coach was still trying to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn