The atmosphere at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
At least one man remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this year. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were pushing for him to remain there for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team 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 in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the exact type of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
