The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he publicly stated that the management had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Return
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He joined initially during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, all but one of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
