The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in ten goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign falling apart, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, before he admitted that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to determine if they are improving or imploding.
Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were attempting to stay there a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. They were unable to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He signed originally during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed 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 determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
