The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the board had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Reports that he could resign were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it's been difficult to tell if progress is being made or imploding.
Cancellieri's Surprising Presence
A single player remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He was on last season with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban forced a rethink. They were unable to reduce their roster without replacements.
He joined initially during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 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, who left after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Finding His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
