The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, before he admitted that the club had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that he might quit were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy in their performances as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to determine if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were pushing for him to remain there temporarily. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances with the club in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was still trying to identify the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
