The feeling at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had allowed a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for accounting issues. Speculation that he might quit were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club became as messy in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to tell if they are improving or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio during this campaign. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team without replacements.
He joined initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to identify the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
