The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or did there exist a binding element holding it together to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Speculation that he might quit were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
One individual kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this year. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there for another season. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined initially under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
