The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had conceded a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or had there never been a binding element holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he to later acknowledge that the management had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Reports that he might quit were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if progress is being made or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return
A single player remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He completed last season with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances with the club in 2022-23, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the nature of his skill set. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
