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 a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or had there never been any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he to later acknowledge that the management had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic during matches as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. 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 remain there temporarily. The registration embargo forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed in the first place under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Finding His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the exact type of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign 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 netted seven goals. Shoehorn
