The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had allowed ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or was there ever a binding element holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Reports that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Comeback
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was still trying to work out the nature of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
