The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Had their campaign unraveling, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he admitted that the board had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for accounting issues. Rumours that he might quit were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" 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 opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or imploding.
The Youngster's Surprising Comeback
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this year. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team with no new signings.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league with the club in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to work out the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
