The mood at their home stadium was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, before he publicly stated that the board had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy in their performances as they were off it, beating 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's been difficult to determine if progress is being made or imploding.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
At least one man kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He was on the last one on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to stay there for another season. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league for Lazio in 2022-23, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative 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
