The mood at their home stadium was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he admitted that the board had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic during matches as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Return
One individual remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He was on last season with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team with no new signings.
He joined initially under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
