The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist a thread maintaining its structure to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, only for him publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their first five games, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, observers have struggled to tell if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He was on the last one at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. They were unable to thin their squad without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Uncovering His True Position
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 in the striker role. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
