The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or was there ever a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it's been difficult to determine if they're getting better or imploding.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Comeback
At least one man remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He spent the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to weaken their team with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league with the club in 2022-23, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to work out the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
