The mood at their home stadium was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had not mentioned the transfer ban they were facing for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
One individual remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He completed the last one on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his parent club were advocating for him to stay there for another season. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances with the club in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
