The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had allowed 10 goals while scoring only two in their last five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Had their campaign falling apart, or was there ever a binding element maintaining its structure in the first place? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he to later acknowledge that the management had not mentioned the transfer ban they were about to receive for accounting issues. Reports that he could resign were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club became as messy on the pitch as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other first five games, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it's been difficult to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He signed initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, later stated Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Discovering His True Position
Maybe Sarri was still trying to identify the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Labeled as a wide forward on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
