The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had allowed ten goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Had their campaign unraveling, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, only for him publicly stated that the management had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it has been hard to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Return
A single player kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team with no new signings.
He joined in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to work out the nature of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
