The mood at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had conceded a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or had there never been any cohesion holding it together to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, before he admitted that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that he might quit were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized 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 determine if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
One individual remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He was on last season with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were pushing for him to remain there for another season. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. They were unable to weaken their team without replacements.
He joined initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
