The mood at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, before he to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Speculation that he could resign were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this year. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were advocating for him to remain there a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to weaken their team with no new signings.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Finding His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
