The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or did there exist a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him publicly stated that the management had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were about to receive for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy on the pitch as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if they are improving or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Return
One individual remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this season. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were attempting to stay there temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He joined originally during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors 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, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the nature of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
