The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or did there exist a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the board had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Rumours that he might quit were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
One individual kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this year. He completed last season with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were advocating for him to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
He joined initially under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, all but one of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
