The mood at their home stadium was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he admitted that the management had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that he could resign were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as behind the scenes, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
At least one man remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He was on last season at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
