The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded ten goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, but then he publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to tell if progress is being made or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Comeback
At least one man continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed last season at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He signed in the first place under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
