The feeling at their home stadium was far from happy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had allowed a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Had their campaign unraveling, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, but then he publicly stated that the management had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were facing for accounting issues. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, observers have struggled to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
One individual continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were attempting to stay there a while longer. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. They were unable to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed originally under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances with the club in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
