The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had allowed ten 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 chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, only for him to later acknowledge that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were about to receive for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy during matches as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their first five games, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
Cancellieri's Surprising Presence
At least one man remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to determine the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
