The feeling at their home stadium was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded ten goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he admitted that the club had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized during matches as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it's been difficult to ascertain if progress is being made or collapsing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Comeback
A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He was on the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay temporarily. The registration embargo necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to thin their squad without replacements.
He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Finding His True Position
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to determine the nature of his skill set. Labeled as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative 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
