The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had allowed a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, before he publicly stated that the management had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to determine if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Unexpected Presence
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this season. He was on last season at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He joined in the first place under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was still trying to work out the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
