The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico 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 managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Speculation that he might quit were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Return
A single player kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He was on the last one at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were attempting to stay there for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. They were unable to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, 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. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the nature of the player's talent. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
