The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed ten goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or was there ever a binding element maintaining its structure to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy during matches as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if they are improving or imploding.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
At least one man continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were advocating for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He signed originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, almost all of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
