The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or had there never been any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club became as messy on the pitch as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
One individual remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, the vast majority of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
