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The mood at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.

The Campaign Unraveling?

Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Reports that he might quit were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.

The Roman club became as messy on the pitch as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other initial five matches, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.

Matteo's Unforeseen Return

At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He spent the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were pushing for him to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.

He joined in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, all but one of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."

Uncovering His True Position

It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the specific characteristics of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn