The mood at their home stadium was far from happy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while netting just 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.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, but then he admitted that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Reports that he might quit were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to determine if progress is being made or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
