The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element holding it together to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Reports that he might quit were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio became as messy in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if progress is being made or imploding.
Matteo's Unexpected Comeback
A single player remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The signing restriction forced a rethink. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
