The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Reports that he might quit were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to determine if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
A single player remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
