The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had allowed ten goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Had their campaign unraveling, or did there exist a thread keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he admitted that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that he might quit were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his parent club were pushing for him to extend his stay for another season. The registration embargo forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
