The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed ten goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the club had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were facing for fiscal problems. Speculation that he might quit were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club became as messy on the pitch as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to determine if progress is being made or collapsing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Presence
One individual remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He was on the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to remain there a while longer. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. They were unable to weaken their team without replacements.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, the vast majority of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
