The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had conceded 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or did there exist a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that he might quit were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio became as messy during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Comeback
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He completed the last one with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team with no new signings.
He joined initially during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances with the club in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was still trying to work out the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
