The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was far from happy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had conceded ten goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he publicly stated that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy during matches as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Comeback
At least one man continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this year. He completed the last one with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were attempting to stay there for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
He signed in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances with the club in 2022-23, almost all of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the exact type of his skill set. Labeled as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
