The mood at their home stadium was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had conceded ten goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been a binding element holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, before he admitted that the club had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Return
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this year. He was on the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances with the club in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Finding His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
