The mood at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, only for him admitted that the board had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were facing for accounting issues. Reports that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy on the pitch as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unexpected Presence
At least one man remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He was on the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances with the club in 2022-23, the vast majority of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Uncovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of his skill set. Billed as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
