The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been a binding element holding it together from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he admitted that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Reports that he might quit were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Return
A single player remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed last season with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
