The mood at their home stadium was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had let in a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or did there exist a thread keeping it intact to start with? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he publicly stated that the board had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were facing for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic on the pitch as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. At any given moment, it has been hard to ascertain if they are improving or imploding.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
A single player continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio during this campaign. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, early this summer, Lazio were advocating for him to stay there a while longer. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to thin their squad with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Finding His True Position
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to determine the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
