The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded ten goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or did there exist a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were facing for accounting issues. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy during matches as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining first five games, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if progress is being made or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Comeback
One individual kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were advocating for him to remain there temporarily. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, all but one of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to identify the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Labeled as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
