The feeling at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, only for him admitted that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized in their performances as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to tell if progress is being made or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Return
At least one man remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were attempting to stay there for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
He joined in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league with the club in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Finding His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
