The feeling at their home stadium was far from happy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been a binding element holding it together from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized in their performances as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it's been difficult to tell if progress is being made or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
At least one man remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were attempting to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. They were unable to thin their squad lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league with the club in 2022-23, all but one of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the specific characteristics of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
