The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist a thread keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he admitted that the club had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this year. He was on the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were attempting to remain there a while longer. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was persistently working to determine the nature of his skill set. Originally described as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
