The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he publicly stated that the club had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio became as messy during matches as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to determine if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He completed the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to remain there for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, almost all of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was still trying to determine the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
