The feeling at Lazio's home ground was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or was there ever a binding element holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he publicly stated that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Speculation that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other first five games, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it's been difficult to determine if they're getting better or imploding.
Cancellieri's Surprising Presence
A single player continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio during this campaign. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to remain there for another season. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived initially under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, all but one of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the exact type of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
