The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign unraveling, or had there never been a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were facing for accounting issues. Reports that he might quit were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Return
One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were attempting to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Discovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to determine the nature of the player's talent. Billed as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
