The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had allowed ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been any cohesion holding it together from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Comeback
A single player remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He completed the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to reduce their roster without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, the vast majority of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
