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The atmosphere at their home stadium was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.

A Season Falling Apart?

Was Lazio's season falling apart, or had there never been a thread maintaining its structure from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.

Lazio became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining first five games, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.

Cancellieri's Unforeseen Return

A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this season. He spent last season at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were attempting to remain there temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team with no new signings.

He joined in the first place under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, all but one of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."

Finding His True Position

It's possible the coach was persistently working to work out the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn