The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. Lazio were trailing against Torino, a side that had allowed ten goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or was there ever a thread holding it together from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri to lead the team this summer, before he publicly stated that the club had not mentioned the transfer ban they were facing for fiscal problems. Speculation that he might quit were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Biancocelesti became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the remaining initial five matches, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, observers have struggled to tell if they're getting better or self-destructing.
Matteo's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man kept smiling throughout. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this year. He completed last season at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, his owning club were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. The club couldn't risk to reduce their roster without replacements.
He joined in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to determine the nature of his skill set. Originally described as a wide forward upon signing, Cancellieri nevertheless spent most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
