🔗 Share this article

The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.

A Season Falling Apart?

Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been a thread holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that he might quit were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.

The Roman club appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.

Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback

At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio during this campaign. He spent the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.

Cancellieri arrived originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio in 2022-23, all but one of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."

Uncovering His Best Role

Maybe Sarri was still trying to determine the nature of his skill set. Billed as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn