The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had let in ten goals while scoring only two in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he admitted that the management had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic in their performances as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to ascertain if progress is being made or imploding.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Comeback
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio this year. He spent last season with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were pushing for him to stay there for another season. The transfer ban forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster 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 recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."
Uncovering His Best Role
It's possible the coach was persistently working to identify the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
