The mood at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been a binding element holding it together from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, but then he admitted that the management had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy during matches as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining first five games, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if progress is being made or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed last season with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to remain there for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
He signed initially 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, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was still trying to determine the exact type of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
