The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a team that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their last five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in an ongoing feud with club owner Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign coming unstitched, or had there never been any cohesion maintaining its structure to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, but then he publicly stated that the management had failed to disclose a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
Lazio appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as off the field, beating 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's been difficult to ascertain if they are improving or collapsing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this year. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived originally during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, almost all of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was continuing to attempt to determine the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger upon signing, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
