The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico 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 concluding their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him publicly stated that the management had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club became as messy in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or imploding.
The Youngster's Surprising Presence
A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this season. He completed the last one on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The registration embargo forced a rethink. They were unable to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league with the club in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom 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 Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
