The atmosphere at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had conceded ten goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or had there never been a binding element keeping it intact in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, only for him to later acknowledge that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club became as messy on the pitch as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in their other initial five matches, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or self-destructing.
Cancellieri's Surprising Comeback
A single player remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to be at Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his parent club were attempting to extend his stay temporarily. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster with no new signings.
He joined initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances for Lazio in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended following that term, would later accuse Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom but then not selecting him."
Discovering His Best Role
Perhaps the manager was still trying to work out the exact type of his skill set. Labeled as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile as center forward. In 63 appearances on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
