The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, but then he publicly stated that the board had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their first five games, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
One individual remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this season. He was on the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were advocating for him to remain there for another season. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league for Lazio in 2022-23, the vast majority of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Discovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to work out the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
