The atmosphere at their home stadium was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been any cohesion holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, before he publicly stated that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were facing for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it has been hard to determine if they are improving or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Presence
One individual remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there for another season. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, all but one of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to work out the nature of his skill set. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
