The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had allowed 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign unraveling, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were about to receive for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy on the pitch as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He spent the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He signed originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league with the club in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
