The mood at Lazio's home ground was far from happy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Had their campaign falling apart, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy during matches as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their first five games, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He completed the last one with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team with no new signings.
He joined initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances with the club in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was still trying to identify the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
