The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed ten goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign unraveling, or had there never been a thread holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he to later acknowledge that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it has been hard to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Return
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this year. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
He signed originally during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances with the club in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
