The atmosphere at their home stadium was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Had their campaign unraveling, or had there never been a thread maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the management had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy on the pitch as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Presence
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
He joined originally during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league with the club in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to identify the nature of his skill set. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn