The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he publicly stated that the management had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining first five games, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Presence
One individual remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this season. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league with the club in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
