The feeling at Lazio's home ground was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, before he to later acknowledge that the management had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were about to receive for accounting issues. Speculation that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining first five games, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
One individual kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this year. He was on the last one at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were pushing for him to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.
He joined in the first place under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances with the club in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the nature of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
