The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign falling apart, or had there never been a thread maintaining its structure to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, only for him to later acknowledge that the board had omitted to inform him about the transfer ban they were facing for accounting issues. Speculation that his departure was imminent were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were attempting to extend his stay for another season. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He signed in the first place under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
