The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had conceded a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been a thread holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, observers have struggled to determine if they're getting better or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
At least one man continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio during this campaign. He was on the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
He joined initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in 2022-23, all but one of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of his skill set. Originally described as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
