The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had let in 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or had there never been a binding element maintaining its structure in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return
A single player continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were pushing for him to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. They were unable to weaken their team with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio in 2022-23, almost all of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Discovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
