The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had conceded ten goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist a thread maintaining its structure to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he admitted that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Reports that he might quit were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this year. He was on last season at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his parent club were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances with the club in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
