The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had let in a total of 10 goals while scoring only 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.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been any cohesion holding it together in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were facing for fiscal problems. Rumours that he might quit were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining first five games, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it has been hard to determine if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay a while longer. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the nature of his skill set. Labeled as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
