The mood at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever a binding element maintaining its structure to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were facing for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if progress is being made or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Comeback
One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. They were unable to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He signed originally during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, all but one of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
