The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion maintaining its structure from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, only for him publicly stated that the management had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining first five games, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it has been hard to determine if they are improving or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were pushing for him to stay there for another season. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team with no new signings.
He signed in the first place under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league for Lazio in 2022-23, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Billed as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
