The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had allowed 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic in their performances as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return
A single player remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio during this campaign. He completed the last one with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were attempting to stay there for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad without replacements.
He joined initially under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio in 2022-23, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
