The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had let in a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, but then he admitted that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were facing for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
At least one man remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He spent last season at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league with the club in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was still trying to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
