The mood at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him publicly stated that the management had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He was on last season at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay for another season. The registration embargo forced a rethink. They were unable to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He joined initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to work out the exact type of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
