The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been any cohesion holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he to later acknowledge that the management had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if they are improving or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
At least one man remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were advocating for him to remain there for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He joined in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
