The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been any cohesion maintaining its structure from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he publicly stated that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their first five games, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to tell if progress is being made or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
At least one man remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league with the club in 2022-23, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the specific characteristics of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
