The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had allowed a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been a thread holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Speculation that he might quit were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic during matches as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return
One individual remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this season. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
