The mood at their home stadium was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or was there ever a thread holding it together from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he admitted that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were facing for accounting issues. Speculation that he could resign were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to determine if they're getting better or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
One individual remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, all but one of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
