The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had conceded a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud 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 to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, but then he publicly stated that the management had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that he might quit were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized in their performances as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He was on the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were pushing for him to remain there temporarily. The registration embargo forced a rethink. They were unable to reduce their roster without replacements.
He signed in the first place under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances with the club in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to identify the specific characteristics of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
