The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had let in ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or was there ever a thread holding it together in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or imploding.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio during this campaign. He completed last season at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were attempting to stay there for another season. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He signed initially during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league for Lazio in 2022-23, almost all of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
