The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or was there ever a binding element holding it together from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he admitted that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining first five games, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to determine if they're getting better or imploding.
Cancellieri's Surprising Presence
At least one man kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his parent club were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. They were unable to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league with the club in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
