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The mood at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.

The Campaign Falling Apart?

Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist a binding element maintaining its structure in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, only for him admitted that the club had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were facing for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.

The Roman club appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or imploding.

Matteo's Unexpected Return

A single player continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed last season at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were advocating for him to remain there for another season. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to thin their squad lacking backup options.

Cancellieri arrived initially under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."

Uncovering His True Position

Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn