The atmosphere at their home stadium was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, but then he publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this year. He completed the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were attempting to stay there temporarily. The registration embargo forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in 2022-23, all but one of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Billed as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
