The feeling at Lazio's home ground was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been any cohesion maintaining its structure to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him admitted that the board had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were facing for fiscal problems. Speculation that he might quit were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league with the club in 2022-23, almost all of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was still trying to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
