The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. 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. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist a binding element maintaining its structure from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, 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 fiscal problems. Rumours that he might quit were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to determine if progress is being made or collapsing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback
A single player remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed last season on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He signed in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Finding His True Position
Maybe Sarri was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
