The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Fans 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 binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Speculation that he might quit were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Return
One individual kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were attempting to stay there for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, almost all of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
