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The mood at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had allowed ten goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.

This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?

Had their campaign coming unstitched, or was there ever a thread keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he admitted that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.

Lazio appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to ascertain if progress is being made or self-destructing.

Matteo's Unexpected Return

At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this season. He was on the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.

Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."

Discovering His Best Role

Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn