The feeling at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or was there ever a thread holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it has been hard to ascertain if they are improving or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this season. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, almost all of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn