The feeling at their home stadium was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had let in a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or had there never been any cohesion holding it together from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he admitted that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it has been hard to determine if they are improving or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Comeback
A single player remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio during this campaign. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed originally during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in 2022-23, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Billed as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
