The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had let in a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in an ongoing feud with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been a thread keeping it intact from the beginning? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for fiscal problems. Rumours that he might quit were not true, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti appeared equally disorganized in their performances as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other opening fixtures, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it has been hard to tell if progress is being made or imploding.
Matteo's Unexpected Comeback
A single player kept smiling through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this year. He completed last season at Parma as a loanee and, during the summer break, Lazio were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He signed initially under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of Cancellieri's abilities. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
