The mood at their home stadium was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or had there never been any cohesion keeping it intact to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him admitted that the management had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that he could resign were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio during this campaign. He completed last season at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The signing restriction forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the nature of the player's talent. Billed as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
