The mood at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or had there never been a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, only for him admitted that the club had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic during matches as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Return
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio during this campaign. He was on the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to remain there temporarily. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed originally when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Labeled as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
