The atmosphere at their home stadium was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a team that had conceded 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or was there ever any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him admitted that the board had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Reports that his departure was imminent were not true, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy on the pitch as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or imploding.
The Youngster's Surprising Return
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his parent club were pushing for him to stay there for another season. The registration embargo forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
He joined in the first place under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in 2022-23, all but one of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Finding His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
