The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign falling apart, or had there never been a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he to later acknowledge that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that he might quit were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, observers have struggled to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
A single player continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He completed last season at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to extend his stay a while longer. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He joined in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, the vast majority of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
