The feeling at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had let in a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Had their campaign unraveling, or was there ever a thread keeping it intact to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that he might quit were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Matteo's Surprising Presence
A single player kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to remain there a while longer. The transfer ban forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He signed initially during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, all but one of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the specific characteristics of his skill set. Billed as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
