The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had conceded a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been any cohesion holding it together from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, but then he admitted that the management had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy during matches as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their initial five matches, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it has been hard to determine if progress is being made or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his parent club were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The registration embargo forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He joined in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
