The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign unraveling, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he to later acknowledge that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Reports that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to ascertain if progress is being made or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Return
A single player kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this year. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were advocating for him to remain there temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league with the club in 2022-23, almost all of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the nature of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
