The feeling at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or had there never been any cohesion holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Rumours that he might quit were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized during matches as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Presence
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He completed the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were attempting to stay there a while longer. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team lacking backup options.
He joined initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to work out the nature of the player's talent. Billed as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
