The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in ten goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Speculation that he might quit were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if progress is being made or imploding.
Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He spent last season at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were advocating for him to remain there for another season. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, almost all of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
