The feeling at their home stadium was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been a binding element maintaining its structure from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, only for him admitted that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for accounting issues. Rumours that he might quit were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic during matches as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if progress is being made or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Return
At least one man continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were attempting to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
He signed originally under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was still trying to work out the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
