The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful during the weekend fixture. The home side was losing against Torino, a team that had let in 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Supporters from the Curva Nord were finishing their latest protest in a continuous dispute with chairman Claudio Lotito.
A Season Unraveling?
Was Lazio's season unraveling, or did there exist a binding element maintaining its structure from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as manager this summer, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he stated that Lotito had "swindled" him.
The Roman club were just as chaotic in their performances as they were off it, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in their other initial five matches, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it has been hard to ascertain if they're getting better or imploding.
Matteo's Unexpected Return
A single player kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to be at Lazio during this campaign. He was on the previous campaign at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were advocating for him to stay there temporarily. The transfer ban necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster with no new signings.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league with the club in that campaign, the vast majority of those from the bench. The club's longtime sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Best Role
Maybe Sarri was continuing to attempt to identify the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player upon signing, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile at No 9. During 63 outings during spells with Empoli and Parma in the past two years, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
