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 scoring only two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element maintaining its structure in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he publicly stated that the management had not mentioned a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, observers have struggled to tell if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
One individual remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He spent last season at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were attempting to stay there for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
He joined in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of his skill set. Labeled as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
