The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had let in ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or had there never been any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he publicly stated that the management had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy during matches as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it has been hard to ascertain if they are improving or imploding.
Matteo's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He signed originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
