The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been a binding element holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, before he admitted that the board had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, overcoming 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 tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return
One individual remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He was on the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. They were unable to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to determine the nature of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
