The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had conceded a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or was there ever a binding element holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he to later acknowledge that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized in their performances as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to determine if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this season. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Uncovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the nature of his skill set. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
