The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Had their campaign unraveling, or was there ever a binding element maintaining its structure in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him admitted that the board had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy during matches as they were off it, 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's been difficult to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return
A single player continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio during this campaign. He completed the last one with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were pushing for him to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances with the club in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
