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 allowed a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, before he to later acknowledge that the board had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for accounting issues. Speculation that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
At least one man kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this year. He was on last season with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances with the club in 2022-23, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
