The feeling at Lazio's home ground was far from happy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had allowed ten goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, before he admitted that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or imploding.
Cancellieri's Surprising Comeback
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
