The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign unraveling, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to determine if progress is being made or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Comeback
One individual kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio during this campaign. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league with the club in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
