The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or had there never been a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him publicly stated that the management had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to remain there for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances with the club in 2022-23, almost all of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was persistently working to determine the specific characteristics of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
