The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had conceded a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were finishing their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or was there ever a thread maintaining its structure to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, before he admitted that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were facing for accounting issues. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he did say that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as off the field, overcoming Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their first five games, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Presence
One individual remained positive amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to feature for Lazio during this campaign. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, early this summer, his parent club were advocating for him to extend his stay a while longer. The signing restriction forced a rethink. Lazio could not afford to thin their squad lacking backup options.
He signed originally during Sarri's previous tenure, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, later stated Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was still trying to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself much of that season as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma in the past two years, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn
