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 allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Had their campaign unraveling, or had there never been a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Reports that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio became as messy on the pitch 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 ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Comeback
At least one man remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this year. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
