The atmosphere at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their first five games, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this year. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were advocating for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league with the club in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
