The feeling at their home stadium was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had conceded a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, only for him admitted that the club had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic during matches as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Presence
One individual kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this season. He completed last season with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in 2022-23, almost all of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
