The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been a binding element maintaining its structure in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the board had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to tell if they're getting better or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Comeback
A single player remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this season. He was on the last one at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. They were unable to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the exact type of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
