The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or did there exist any cohesion maintaining its structure to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, only for him publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Reports that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were pushing for him to extend his stay temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
