The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, before he admitted that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy on the pitch as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Return
A single player remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were attempting to remain there a while longer. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team without replacements.
He signed originally when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances with the club in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
