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The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.

The Campaign Unraveling?

Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been a binding element maintaining its structure from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, only for him publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.

Lazio became as messy on the pitch as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if they are improving or imploding.

Cancellieri's Surprising Presence

A single player kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this year. He completed the last one on loan at Parma and, early this summer, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban forced a rethink. They were unable to reduce their roster lacking backup options.

He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in 2022-23, all but one of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."

Discovering His Best Role

Perhaps the manager was persistently working to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn