The feeling at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, only for him publicly stated that the club had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized during matches as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining first five games, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to determine if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unexpected Comeback
A single player kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio during this campaign. He completed last season with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
He joined in the first place under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
