The mood at their home stadium was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had let in a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been a binding element holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he admitted that the club had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were facing for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if progress is being made or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
At least one man remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this season. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to remain there for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances with the club in 2022-23, almost all of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the nature of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
