The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had allowed a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist a thread keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Speculation that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this year. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. They were unable to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined initially when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, all but one of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
