The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic during matches as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it's been difficult to tell if progress is being made or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
At least one man kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were attempting to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of his skill set. Labeled as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn