The feeling at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind 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 ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or did there exist a binding element holding it together from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, only for him publicly stated that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic on the pitch as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Comeback
A single player continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He was on last season on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were attempting to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league with the club in 2022-23, all but one of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Discovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to work out the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn