The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Had their campaign unraveling, or had there never been a thread maintaining its structure to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he publicly stated that the board had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other first five games, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return
A single player kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were pushing for him to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the specific characteristics of his skill set. Originally described as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
