The mood at their home stadium was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Had their campaign falling apart, or had there never been a binding element holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized in their performances as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Presence
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this year. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were attempting to stay there temporarily. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, the vast majority of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was still trying to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
