The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Had their campaign unraveling, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for accounting issues. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy on the pitch as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Comeback
A single player remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He was on last season at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league with the club in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
