The feeling at their home stadium was far from happy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had conceded a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, but then he admitted that the board had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Return
A single player kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this year. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in 2022-23, all but one of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to work out the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
