The mood at their home stadium was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had let in a total of 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season falling apart, or was there ever a thread keeping it intact in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he admitted that the board had omitted to inform him about a registration embargo they were facing for fiscal problems. Speculation that he might quit were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it's been difficult to determine if they are improving or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
One individual continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this year. He completed last season on loan at Parma and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Uncovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of the player's talent. Billed as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
