The atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had let in ten goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, but then he admitted that the board had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Reports that he could resign were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club became as messy during matches as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
The Youngster's Surprising Presence
One individual remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 league appearances for Lazio in the 2022-23 season, the vast majority of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential then never playing him."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was persistently working to determine the nature of the player's talent. Billed as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
