The mood at their home stadium was far from happy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist a thread keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, only for him admitted that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Reports that he might quit were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, observers have struggled to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
One individual continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He spent the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team with no new signings.
He signed initially during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Uncovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was still trying to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
