The mood at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Had their campaign unraveling, or had there never been any cohesion holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, but then he admitted that the board had not mentioned the transfer ban they were facing for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy on the pitch as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He was on last season at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to thin their squad with no new signings.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to work out the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
