The feeling at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a side 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 wrapping up their most recent demonstration in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist a binding element holding it together in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach during the off-season, before he to later acknowledge that the board had not mentioned a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized on the pitch as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their initial five matches, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to determine if they are improving or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unexpected Return
A single player remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this season. He completed last season with Parma on loan and, early this summer, his parent club were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The transfer ban forced a rethink. They were unable to weaken their team with no new signings.
He signed originally when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Finding His True Position
Maybe Sarri was still trying to determine the specific characteristics of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri yet was deployed for much of that season as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
