The mood at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, only for him admitted that the management had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that he might quit were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it's been difficult to ascertain if they are improving or collapsing.
The Youngster's Surprising Presence
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio this year. He was on last season on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his parent club were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
