The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that he might quit were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized in their performances as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if progress is being made or imploding.
Matteo's Unexpected Presence
A single player remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He spent last season at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were attempting to stay there for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to work out the nature of his skill set. Billed as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
