The mood at the Stadio Olimpico 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. Supporters from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or did there exist a thread holding it together from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Reports that he might quit were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to determine if progress is being made or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
A single player kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, early this summer, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay for another season. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
He joined initially under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to work out the specific characteristics of his skill set. Originally described as a flank player 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 during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
