The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Had their campaign unraveling, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he to later acknowledge that the management had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that he might quit were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy on the pitch as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it's been difficult to determine if progress is being made or imploding.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this season. He was on last season on loan at Parma and, early this summer, Lazio were attempting to remain there for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived initially under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in 2022-23, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
