The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him admitted that the club had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that he might quit were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or imploding.
Cancellieri's Surprising Presence
One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He signed originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
