The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had allowed ten goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the management had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Comeback
A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
