The atmosphere at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he publicly stated that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy during matches as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Return
A single player remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He was on last season with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to extend his stay a while longer. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the nature of his skill set. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
