🔗 Share this article

The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.

A Season Falling Apart?

Had their campaign unraveling, or did there exist a binding element maintaining its structure from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.

The Roman club appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if they're getting better or self-destructing.

The Youngster's Surprising Comeback

A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this year. He completed last season at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.

Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."

Finding His Best Role

Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn