The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion holding it together to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, but then he admitted that the club had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or imploding.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
A single player remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He spent the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to remain there temporarily. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Uncovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was persistently working to work out the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
