The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had conceded a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, before he to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
One individual kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to remain there for another season. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. They were unable to weaken their team without replacements.
He joined in the first place under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the exact type of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
