The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed ten goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Had their campaign falling apart, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining first five games, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to determine if they are improving or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Presence
A single player kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio during this campaign. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were pushing for him to remain there temporarily. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league with the club in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the exact type of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
