The mood at Lazio's home ground was far from happy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign unraveling, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he admitted that the board had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
The Youngster's Surprising Return
At least one man remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The transfer ban forced a rethink. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league with the club in 2022-23, almost all of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
