The feeling at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had allowed ten goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or did there exist a binding element holding it together from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy on the pitch as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it's been difficult to ascertain if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Return
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He completed last season on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the exact type of the player's talent. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
