The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign 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 to lead the team in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for accounting issues. Reports that he might quit were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic during matches as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
One individual kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio during this campaign. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He joined originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. 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 but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
Maybe Sarri was still trying to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
