The feeling at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had conceded a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or did there exist a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it's been difficult to determine if progress is being made or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Return
One individual continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were attempting to remain there for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
He joined initially during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the exact type of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as a struggling deputy 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
