The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Had their campaign falling apart, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he to later acknowledge that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Reports that he might quit were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, observers have struggled to determine if they are improving or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Return
A single player continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances with the club in 2022-23, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
