The feeling at their home stadium was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Had their campaign unraveling, or had there never been a thread holding it together from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, but then he publicly stated that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were facing for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to ascertain if progress is being made or imploding.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
A single player kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, early this summer, Lazio were attempting to stay there for another season. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league with the club in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Discovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
