The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, before he admitted that the board had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Speculation that he might quit were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to determine if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio during this campaign. He completed the last one on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He signed in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, the vast majority of those as a substitute. 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 identify the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
