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 allowed 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Had their campaign unraveling, or did there exist a thread holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he admitted that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Reports that he could resign were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or imploding.
Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback
One individual continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there for another season. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team with no new signings.
He signed initially during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
