The atmosphere at their home stadium was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, only for him admitted that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, observers have struggled to tell if they are improving or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
At least one man remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this season. He completed the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
He signed in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of his skill set. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
