The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was far from happy during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had conceded 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Coming Unstitched?
Had their campaign falling apart, or did there exist a thread holding it together to start with? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, before he admitted that the club had not mentioned a registration embargo they were set to be hit with for accounting issues. Speculation that he could resign were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
Lazio became as messy in their performances as off the field, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining initial five matches, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it has been hard to tell if they're getting better or collapsing.
Matteo's Surprising Comeback
At least one man continued to smile throughout. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to feature for Lazio this year. He completed last season with Parma on loan and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were attempting to stay there a while longer. The signing restriction led to a change of plans. They were unable to weaken their team with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived initially when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, would later accuse Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Maybe Sarri was persistently working to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Originally described as an attacking winger when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile at No 9. In 63 appearances while playing for Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
