The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had conceded ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been any cohesion holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he publicly stated that the management had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Return
A single player kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were pushing for him to extend his stay for another season. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to weaken their team with no new signings.
He signed in the first place under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, 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 persistently working to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
