The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if progress is being made or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
A single player remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He was on last season on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to stay there temporarily. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He signed originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was persistently working to work out the nature of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
