The atmosphere at their home stadium was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever any cohesion holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he admitted that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy on the pitch as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their first five games, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to ascertain if they are improving or imploding.
The Youngster's Surprising Presence
At least one man remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio during this campaign. He was on the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were attempting to remain there temporarily. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. They were unable to thin their squad without replacements.
He joined originally when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in 2022-23, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to work out the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
