The mood at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had allowed ten goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, but then he to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
At least one man kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He completed last season at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The registration embargo forced a rethink. They were unable to reduce their roster without replacements.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances with the club in 2022-23, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Finding His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was still trying to work out the exact type of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
