🔗 Share this article

The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had conceded a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.

This Year's Efforts Unraveling?

Was Lazio's season unraveling, or did there exist a binding element holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he to later acknowledge that the management had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that he might quit were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.

The Roman club appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.

Cancellieri's Surprising Presence

One individual remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to stay there temporarily. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.

He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."

Finding His True Position

Maybe Sarri was still trying to identify the exact type of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative 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