The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had let in a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or was there ever a thread keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Speculation that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy in their performances as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
One individual kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this season. He was on the last one on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were advocating for him to stay there a while longer. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.
He signed originally when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances with the club in 2022-23, all but one of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
