The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign falling apart, or had there never been any cohesion holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, only for him publicly stated that the club had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy on the pitch as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if progress is being made or imploding.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to remain there for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league 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 following that term, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of his skill set. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
