The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, but then he admitted that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio during this campaign. He was on the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were advocating for him to remain there temporarily. The registration embargo forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances with the club in 2022-23, all but one of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Finding His True Position
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to identify the nature of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
