The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or did there exist any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, only for him publicly stated that the management had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy on the pitch as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Return
A single player remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo forced a rethink. They were unable to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed initially during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league with the club in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to work out the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
