The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Reports that he could resign were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic during matches as off the field, beating 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're getting better or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this season. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The signing restriction forced a rethink. They were unable to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances with the club in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to determine the exact type of the player's talent. Originally described as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
