The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, only for him publicly stated that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio became as messy during matches as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if they are improving or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return
A single player continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He was on last season with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived initially during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the nature of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
