The atmosphere at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, but then he admitted that the club had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback
One individual remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this season. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were advocating for him to stay there a while longer. The registration embargo forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league with the club in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
