The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he admitted that the management had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for accounting issues. Speculation that he could resign were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic on the pitch as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Comeback
A single player remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He spent the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were advocating for him to remain there for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
He joined initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances with the club in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of the player's talent. Billed as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
