The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had let in 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, before he publicly stated that the management had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were facing for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it's been difficult to determine if they are improving or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Presence
A single player kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to be at Lazio this season. He was on the last one with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. They were unable to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
Cancellieri arrived originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, almost all of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri would be a star but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to determine the exact type of his skill set. Billed as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
