The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been a thread holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, only for him publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy 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. From one game to the next, it has been hard to determine if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
One individual remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this year. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were attempting to stay there a while longer. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the exact type of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
