The feeling at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or did there exist a binding element holding it together from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Presence
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this year. He completed last season with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there temporarily. The registration embargo forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk 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 recorded 20 matches in the league for Lazio in 2022-23, all but one of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was still trying to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
