The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind 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 ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, but then he publicly stated that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it has been hard to tell if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Comeback
A single player kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were attempting to stay there for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league with the club in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Finding His True Position
It's possible the coach was persistently working to work out the exact type of his skill set. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
