The mood at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he admitted that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Reports that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he acknowledged 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, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Presence
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio during this campaign. He completed last season on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there for another season. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. They were unable to reduce their roster without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the nature of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
