The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were about to receive for accounting issues. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized during matches as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or imploding.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
One individual remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
He signed in the first place under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
