The atmosphere at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in ten goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic on the pitch as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Return
A single player continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio this season. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, all but one of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the nature of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
