The atmosphere at their home stadium was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, but then he admitted that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other first five games, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it's been difficult to ascertain if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
A single player kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this season. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to stay there a while longer. The transfer ban forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances with the club in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
