The atmosphere at their home stadium was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever a thread keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club became as messy in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to determine if progress is being made or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Comeback
A single player kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio during this campaign. He was on last season at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were pushing for him to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to weaken their team with no new signings.
He joined in the first place under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the specific characteristics of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
