The feeling at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist a thread holding it together to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, before he to later acknowledge that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their first five games, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if they are improving or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Return
One individual remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, early this summer, Lazio were attempting to stay there for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He joined initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
