The mood at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had conceded ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or had there never been a binding element maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed 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 accounting issues. Speculation that he could resign were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to determine if they are improving or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
At least one man remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He was on last season at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed initially during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league with the club in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to work out the nature of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
