The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or did there exist a thread keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, only for him admitted that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that he might quit were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Presence
A single player continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his owning club were attempting to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He signed in the first place under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances with the club in 2022-23, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to work out the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
