The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had allowed ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever a binding element holding it together to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he admitted that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
A single player remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this season. He spent last season at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his parent club were pushing for him to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was persistently working to work out the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
