The mood at their home stadium was far from happy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had let in ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Had their campaign unraveling, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he to later acknowledge that the management had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it's been difficult to determine if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
A single player continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were pushing for him to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team with no new signings.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
