The feeling at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he admitted that the board had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining first five games, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to determine if they are improving or imploding.
The Youngster's Surprising Return
A single player remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He completed the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to reduce their roster without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of the player's talent. Billed as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
