The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico 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 previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, only for him admitted that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club became as messy in their performances as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
A single player remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his parent club were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The transfer ban forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, the vast majority of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was persistently working to determine the nature of the player's talent. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
