The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been any cohesion maintaining its structure to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy on the pitch as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it has been hard to determine if progress is being made or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Comeback
One individual kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this season. He was on the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were attempting to stay there for another season. The registration embargo forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Billed as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
