The mood at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were facing for accounting issues. Reports that he might quit were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it has been hard to tell if they are improving or imploding.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this year. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was still trying to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
