The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or did there exist a thread holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, before he to later acknowledge that the board had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that he might quit were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic on the pitch as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to determine if progress is being made or imploding.
Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback
At least one man remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this season. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were attempting to remain there for another season. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league with the club in 2022-23, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to determine the specific characteristics of his skill set. Billed as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
