The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Comeback
One individual continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed last season with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his owning club were attempting to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
He signed originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
