The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the management had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining initial five matches, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He completed the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were pushing for him to remain there for another season. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He joined in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to determine the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled 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 over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
