The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element holding it together from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he publicly stated that the club had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Speculation that he might quit were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining first five games, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this year. He was on the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, early this summer, Lazio were advocating for him to remain there for another season. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances with the club in 2022-23, almost all of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Uncovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to identify the specific characteristics of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
