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The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.

The Campaign Falling Apart?

Was the team's progress unraveling, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, before he to later acknowledge that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.

The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic during matches as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. At any given moment, observers have struggled to determine if they're getting better or imploding.

Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence

A single player kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He completed last season on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster with no new signings.

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 matches in the league with the club in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."

Discovering His Best Role

It's possible the coach was still trying to determine the exact type of his skill set. Billed as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn