The feeling at Lazio's home ground was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or had there never been any cohesion maintaining its structure from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, before he publicly stated that the board had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that he might quit were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized during matches as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their first five games, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Return
At least one man remained positive through it. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He was on last season on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were advocating for him to stay there for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He joined in the first place under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
Perhaps the manager was still trying to work out the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
