The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had allowed ten goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or did there exist a binding element maintaining its structure from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, but then he admitted that the management had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized in their performances as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Return
One individual continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
He joined originally during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances with the club in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was persistently working to determine the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Billed as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
