The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, but then he to later acknowledge that the management had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Reports that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Presence
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo forced a rethink. They were unable to reduce their roster without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
