The mood at Lazio's home ground was far from happy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy during matches as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
One individual remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his parent club were advocating for him to stay there a while longer. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances with the club in 2022-23, the vast majority of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was persistently working to work out the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
