The mood at their home stadium was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had conceded a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the management had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Speculation that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Presence
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were pushing for him to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio in 2022-23, the vast majority of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Finding His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
