The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to determine if they are improving or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Presence
One individual kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He completed the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances with the club in 2022-23, almost all of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Discovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. 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 during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
