The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, but then he admitted that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy on the pitch as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other initial five matches, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Comeback
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this season. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to remain there a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league for Lazio in 2022-23, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of his skill set. Labeled as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
