The atmosphere at their home stadium was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the management had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Return
One individual continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this year. He completed the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team without replacements.
He signed originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
