The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread holding it together to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, only for him admitted that the management had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Return
A single player kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He was on the last one at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
