The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had conceded ten goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the board had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Speculation that he could resign were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized during matches as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining first five games, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return
A single player remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this year. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to remain there temporarily. The transfer ban forced a rethink. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league with the club in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
