The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign falling apart, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, only for him publicly stated that the club had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy on the pitch as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if progress is being made or imploding.
Cancellieri's Surprising Comeback
One individual remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.
He signed in the first place under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances with the club in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Finding His True Position
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of his skill set. Originally described as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
