The mood at Lazio's home ground was far from happy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he admitted that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio became as messy during matches as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their initial five matches, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to determine if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
A single player continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He completed last season with Parma on loan and, early this summer, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed in the first place under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
