The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the management had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for accounting issues. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if progress is being made or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Return
At least one man kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
He joined in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances with the club in 2022-23, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, 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 in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
