The feeling at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had allowed ten goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback
One individual continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed last season at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team lacking backup options.
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 with the club in 2022-23, all but one of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
