The mood at Lazio's home ground was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element maintaining its structure from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback
A single player kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this season. He was on the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
He joined in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league with the club in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the nature of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
