The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had allowed a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that he might quit were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
At least one man remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He joined in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, 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 during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
