The mood at Lazio's home ground was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist a binding element holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, only for him admitted that the club had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Rumours that he might quit were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy during matches as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other first five games, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it has been hard to ascertain if progress is being made or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return
At least one man remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He spent last season at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were attempting to stay there a while longer. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances with the club in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Uncovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
