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 a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, before he admitted that the management had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Speculation that he might quit were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Comeback
A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He was on the last one at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He joined originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
