The feeling at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been a thread holding it together from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, before he admitted that the management had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club became as messy on the pitch as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it has been hard to determine if they are improving or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Presence
One individual kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to remain there a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was still trying to determine the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
