The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for accounting issues. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, observers have struggled to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
At least one man remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He was on last season with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were attempting to remain there for another season. The registration embargo forced a rethink. They were unable to weaken their team without replacements.
He joined in the first place under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
