The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Reports that he might quit were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to determine if they are improving or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Return
At least one man remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were attempting to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
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 for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to work out the nature of the player's talent. Billed as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
