The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had allowed a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or did there exist a binding element keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, before he publicly stated that the club had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were about to receive for accounting issues. Rumours that he might quit were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other first five games, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it has been hard to determine if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
A single player remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He was on the last one on loan at Parma and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there for another season. The signing restriction forced a rethink. The club couldn't risk to thin their squad without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, back then just 20 years old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
