The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing 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 ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or was there ever any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that he might quit were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club became as messy in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, observers have struggled to ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Presence
At least one man remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He was on the last one at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
