The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded ten goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, 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, before he publicly stated that the management had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were about to receive for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to determine if they're getting better or imploding.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He completed last season on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to remain there a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He joined in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in 2022-23, almost all of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to identify the nature of the player's talent. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn