The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the management had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were facing for accounting issues. Speculation that he might quit were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to tell if they are improving or imploding.
Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to stay there for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. They were unable to reduce their roster without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in 2022-23, almost all of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was still trying to determine the exact type of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
