The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to ascertain if they are improving or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Return
One individual kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this season. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were attempting to remain there for another season. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to reduce their roster without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
