The feeling at Lazio's home ground was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had let in a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season coming unstitched, or had there never been any cohesion maintaining its structure in the first place? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager during the off-season, but then he admitted that the club had not mentioned a ban on new signings they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio became as messy on the pitch as off the field, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the remaining first five games, which included the capital clash. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man remained positive throughout. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio during this campaign. He completed the previous campaign on loan at Parma and, during the summer break, his owning club were pushing for him to remain there a while longer. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, at that time a 20-year-old graduate of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential but then not selecting him."
Finding His Best Role
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the exact type of the player's talent. Labeled as an attacking winger on arrival, Cancellieri yet was deployed for the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
