The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed ten goals while netting just 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 chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist a thread holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, before he admitted that the board had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as off the field, overcoming 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 determine if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return
One individual kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this year. He spent the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were pushing for him to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances with the club in 2022-23, all but one of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
