The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Speculation that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
One individual remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were advocating for him to remain there a while longer. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster 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 with the club in 2022-23, the vast majority of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of his skill set. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
