The feeling at Lazio's home ground was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or had there never been any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, only for him publicly stated that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy during matches as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to tell if they are improving or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Return
One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio during this campaign. He spent the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his owning club were advocating for him to remain there for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of the player's talent. Billed as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
