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The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, an opponent that had let in a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.

This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?

Was the team's progress falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, but then he admitted that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.

The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.

The Youngster's Surprising Presence

At least one man remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this season. He was on the last one on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to extend his stay for another season. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad lacking backup options.

Cancellieri arrived in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances with the club in 2022-23, almost all of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."

Finding His Natural Fit

Maybe Sarri was persistently working to work out the nature of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn