The feeling at their home stadium was far from happy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had conceded ten goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.
This Year's Efforts Coming Unstitched?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or had there never been any cohesion keeping it intact in the first place? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, before he to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were set to be hit with for fiscal problems. Speculation that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti were just as chaotic during matches as they were off it, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their first five games, which included the capital clash. Throughout this period, observers have struggled to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unforeseen Return
A single player continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He spent the last one on loan at Parma and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to remain there temporarily. The registration embargo led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the specific characteristics of Cancellieri's abilities. Billed as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. In 63 appearances during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
