The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or did there exist a thread holding it together from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were facing for accounting issues. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if progress is being made or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
A single player continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
He signed in the first place under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league with the club in 2022-23, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Finding His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
