The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him admitted that the management had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Reports that he could resign were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their first five games, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if progress is being made or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
One individual kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league for Lazio in 2022-23, almost all of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
