The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or did there exist a thread holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Rumours that he might quit were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized in their performances as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to ascertain if they are improving or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He completed the last one on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
