The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had conceded ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that he might quit were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Return
At least one man remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there temporarily. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to reduce their roster without replacements.
He joined initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the nature of the player's talent. Originally described as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
