The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Had their campaign falling apart, or had there never been any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, before he admitted that the board had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were facing for accounting issues. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or imploding.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
At least one man remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to weaken their team with no new signings.
He signed in the first place under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league with the club in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Billed as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
