The atmosphere at their home stadium was far from happy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been any cohesion holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he admitted that the management had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized in their performances as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it has been hard to determine if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Presence
A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He was on the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to remain there temporarily. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He signed in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, almost all of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
